The Potion Master's Girlfriend
by Snape's Puppeteer
Summary: When Severus Snape learns that his past unrequited love takes a job in Hogsmede he is given the opportunity to rekindle their friendship, as well as other things. But dark times are ahead, and rumour has it that Lord Voldemort is back... Re-rated M
1. Chapter 1

**_NB_**_**:** This is set in an alternative universe where Lily Evans never married James Potter and turned him down for that 'one fateful' date. As a result, Snape never became a death eater, Voldemort chose Neville Longbottom as the chosen one, and Hogwarts is a much different place…_

_Intrigued? Read on…._

_All characters, concepts and situation belong to JK Rowling and all rights remain hers at all times. Please do not reproduce this story without express consent of myself, if you do, i will find you, then transfigure your eyebrows into caterpillars and your nose into lettuce. Then you will look like Voldemort, and that would be a bloody shame now, wouldn't it?_

**The Potion Masters Girlfriend**

**Chapter One**

It was a quiet Monday afternoon in the dungeons.

Today's lesson was not a practical one but one that required only the students to read from a text book and summarize into their own words in preparation for an essay that was to follow.

The cauldron on Severus Snape's desk simmered softly as he marked a batch of essays from the fifth years, and judging on the current piece it was not an enjoyable task. So far he had pointed out not only mistakes that should have had a first year blushing but had to correct the spelling of 'Cauldron' and 'Boomslang'.

Sighing as he crossed out another attempt at the world Cauldron, he looked up to see a Ravenclaw passing a note to a Hufflepuff on the opposite bench.

"Collins, I assume those are your notes and that you are assisting Miss. Roper with your infinite Knowledge of the uses for Quicksilver in potion making... " Snape began quietly, knowing that at once that all eyes in the room would be on him, flicking anxiously between the culprits and himself. "...In fact, why don't you read out what you have there, you may even, amazingly, be able to teach me..."

A few of the Hufflepuff students managed a minor chuckle at their class mates expense.  
>"...Sir, I..."<p>

"No?" Snape held out his hand and with a flick of his wand the note came sailing into his open hand.  
>As he delicately unfolded the piece of parchment, he wrinkled his nose in disgust as the inky black hearts on it spoke of undying affection.<br>"Ah yes, here it is..." he began. "Hayley, please meet me behind Greenhouse number three at 5.30  
>today and I will show you my...-" Snape looked at Mr. Collins who was now slowly receding behind his desk as the people in the class chuckled at him. "...Yes, well...as interesting as your social life is, Mr. Collins, I regret to inform Miss. Roper that the invitation no longer stands as Mr. Collins will be in the library, de-doxyfying the curtains."<p>

The class chuckled as Snape tapped the note with his wand causing it to incinerate at once.  
>"...Quiet."<p>

At once, the class got back to work as Snape left a lingering glance over the pair of love-birds at the back of the room before getting back to his grading.  
>A few moments later the bells rang and the students began to pack away.<p>

"For Friday, I want a 32 inch essay on the uses of Silver in potion making-" He paused as students began to groan. "Despite Thursdays Quidditch match, late night celebrations and Butter beer hangovers will not suffice as suitable excuses."

The students all filed out as Mr. Collins came forwards.  
>"...Sir?"<p>

Snape shot him a dark glance.  
>"What is it?"<p>

"Nothing..." Collins mumbled and walked swiftly from the classroom.

Snape continued to scribble on the parchment until soon it resembled a very poorly constructed crossword. There was a brief rap on the door.  
>Snape looked at the door and lowered his gaze a foot or so as he saw Professor Flitwick.<p>

"Filius..." he remarked silkily, returning back to the essay.

"Severus." he squeaked. "...Come to invite you to the three broomsticks!"

Snape looked at him with mild interest.

"...In the considerable time you have known me, Filius, when have I ever ventured to the local taverns?"

"...Well, err, never." Flitwick chuckled nervously. "But it is a faculty thing, it is the headmaster's birthday after all!"  
>Snape didn't raise his eyes from his quill as he dipped it into the pot and continued to mark it.<p>

"Well, as much as I would love to attend, I have essays and a detention this evening."

"Come now Severus. I am sure we could get you out of your classroom for at least one drink!" chuckled Flitwick. "Besides, who was the detention for?"

"Collins." he muttered, laying the essay aside to dry. "Passing notes in class. One detention to be served in the library, this evening."

"Collins eh?" Flitwick mused. "Well, let Madam Pince supervise and come for a drink."

"And deprive Madam Pince of a place?" Snape answered swiftly. "I could not..."

"She doesn't drink." Flitwick answered just as swift.

Snape had to admit, he was out of legitimate reasons for not attending.

"...I-"

"Excellent it starts at Six! See you there!" And with that Flitwick waddled out.

Severus sighed furiously at not being able to think of an excuse good enough to excuse himself from an evening of awkward social conversation with locals of Hogsmede and the faculty who he rarely dealt with in his free time. No doubt most of Albus' favourite, and now rich students would be there...All of the wizarding world Glitterati would be there. The more he thought about it, the more he resented being unable to find a valid excuse not to go.

Packing up his immediate work he walked out of his classroom as the students walked to their designated spots he walked to the staff room and placed his papers on the nearest desk before tapping the kettle hanging above the fireplace and watching it whistle.

Snape had never really been a social person. Even in his youth he preferred to shy away from parties, even ones in which his own house participated in, in favour of going up to his dorm and curling up with his books and notes.

Often Lucius Malfoy, prefect and general heartthrob of the house would appear, his long white hair dishevelled, lipstick and a lopsided grin plastered to his face inviting him to join in the festivities. That McNair had decided to charm dung beetles to stick to the fat ladies portrait and that he should go watch, but Snape had no inclination to go and revisit that place where months before the most important person in his life had told him she never wanted to speak to him again.

It was easier, and much less painful to be alone and it had worked perfectly well for him for the past twenty odd years.  
>Pouring himself a cup of tea he went to his usual arm chair and sank into it, finding the essay he had started marking in his classroom and continued.<p>

"Longbottom, Neville…" he muttered. "The boy who lived…"

"Really Severus, do you believe all that they say?" came a soft wheezy voice.

"Headmaster…" he began, knowing the tone at once. "I believe they are throwing a party for you tonight…"

"Indeed they are, The Three Broomsticks. I believe that it will be quite an event." he chuckled, folding his copy of the Quibbler and surveying Snape from over  
>the top of his chair. "Might we have managed to part you from your stack of essays?"<p>

"Indeed." repeated Snape, barely looking above the page that was littered with ink blots and corrections. "Just this once, head master…"

"Yes, I do hope your house will behave themselves. Today I caught Mr. Malfoy trying to set fire to Mr. Weasley's broom."

"…Which Weasley?" asked Snape idly.

"….Does it matter, Severus?" Albus asked, his eyebrows meeting.

"Not really. I trust you gave him a detention headmaster?" Snape continued, looking to Dumbledore.

"I had no need. Mr and Mr Weasley managed to administer a sort of poetic justice of their own that seemed fitting. I believe Mr. Malfoy is at the hospital wing now, getting the rest of the broom removed…"

Snape nodded idly and continued to look through the essay.

"I have heard rumours, Severus, that Lucius Malfoy has been trying to 'recruit' you."

"Recruit me, headmaster?" Snape asked carelessly, though he knew what the old man meant.

"Do not try and fool me, Severus. You know what I mean. Voldemort."

Snape winced at the use of the dark lords name.

"He who-must-not-be-named is dead." Snape replied coldly.

"After what happened in The Chamber of Secrets-how can you believe that?" Albus asked.

Perhaps Severus did not want to believe that he was back. After all, the last time the death eaters came calling Severus took refuge in the school he had grown up in, teaching potions and secretly desiring the D.A.D.A position but forever being passed over for it. Being a dab hand at potion making, and an expert in the dark arts had made him quite a commodity, and as his old potions master often said in letters written to him: 'You can only say 'No' to these people so many times'.

Hiding behind the robes of Albus Dumbledore did not enthral him with much masculinity, after all, using a geriatric wizard who was far more powerful than you for protection was hardly the mark of a man who was strong and brave, but one who was afraid and fearful.

"…You know you will be safe here, old friend." Dumbledore smiled kindly, and returned to his paper. "It should be quite an occasion. Of course, Horace has rounded up half of his favourite students. Most of them at least…" he continued.

'_Great_' thought Snape. '_More from Gwengog Jones on the match that made her career, or more from Dirk Creswell and how well he's doing at the ministry or_-'

"-Evans might be there…"

"Wait…" Snape said quickly, his black eyes focusing on Dumbledore. "…What did you just say?"

"…Lily Evans might be there. Professor Slughorn will be most anxious to show off his star pupil."

"…Lily Evans?" Snape asked, feeling both unease, and joyous breathlessness.

"One and the same, Severus." smirked Dumbledore, his eyes knowing and shining with mischief, watching something short of light and happiness trying to break through the coldness in Snape's eyes. "Apparently, sometime this week she received an award for 'Young potion maker of the year' and has been offered a position in Hogsmede as junior potioneer at Tukes' Tonics and Tinctures."

But Snape wasn't listening, he had heard the words he swore to himself never to speak again, and to think of only in self-flagellation. The girl who had stolen his heart and neglected to return it. Now a woman, who might grace the party this evening.

Suddenly, the social occasion this evening was more daunting, yet more tempting than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Having spent most the remainder of the day pacing his office, wondering what on earth had caused this amazing turn of events aside of the fact it happened to be the headmaster's birthday. Snape had managed to isolate three points in his mind.

Firstly, Lily Evans was most likely attending a party tonight. Secondly, He would also be at this party. And thirdly, they would most likely, at some point in the evening, encounter one another.

Burning in his mind were the last words Lily ever said to him. The night, after a most regrettable fit of anger, he had said something unforgivable. Effectively ending their friendship forever.

He remembered the last day they saw one another. The last occasion, Lily was being danced with in the school grounds by a overjoyed Remus Lupin who had excelled in his exams and she looked vital. He was stood next to Lucius who was weighing up the possibilities of asking either Narcissa Black or Bellatrix, her older sister out on a date. His eyes met hers for the briefest of moments as Lupin swung her around, lifting her from her feet, and for a moment, her eyes were soft. Those perfect green almond shaped eyes were as they once were. He thought she was going to speak to him, perhaps offer a truce. Unfortunately Mulciber chose that moment to leap on his back and ruffle his hair, howling.

Something that made Lupin stop dancing, stare at Snape with something short of hatred and made Lily grit her teeth and walk away with him.

It seemed so far away, and yet so recent. He could still see those eyes, those perfect green almond shaped eyes that seemed to be the door to a world that he longed to be part of. Just to be an aspect of her world...would be so very wonderful.

Tonight, she would be there, she had to be. If there was any form of justice in the world, tonight he would get the opportunity to see her, speak to her, apologize and—And what...?

No.

No, he would not be doing that. He could not simply shattered this coat of indifference, this armour of not caring any longer for one moment where she could shatter him and leave him the same wreck she did the night she abandoned him to himself. Where he ran back to his dorm, threw himself into the bathroom in there and sobbed into the green Slytherin towels as he mourned the loss of someone not dead, but irretrievably lost to him.

Not since had he set eyes on her, nor allowed himself to hear her name, or even permit her image to rise to his minds eye. It was too painful.

Tonight...he would see her. A woman...And he a man. Anything else, he could not even consider. His mind had already gotten too excited and ran away, thinking of things that could never be. Even as far as a kiss. But the thought of her lips on his had made him giddy with anticipation and his own self-resolve had to step in and near torture the thought from the recently buoyant hope in his heart.

As 6.30 grew near, he walked to a rarely used mirror, adjusted the buttons on his frock-coat, tidying the knot of his tie beneath it, and adjusted the collar of his neck before looking into the reflection of his face.

Wrinkles around his eyes, and worry-lines on his forehead bore the marks of years of deprivation of his hearts true desire, and of course the stress of class after class of under-able children trying to produce potions that required at least some level of intelligence. He just hoped that life looked as if it had treated him somewhat kindly. Showing up and looking to your unrequited love as if you had spent the last twenty odd years like you had been living in Azkaban was not a positive thing.

Pulling on his usual cloak he left his office and walked towards the doors, out through the gates, and towards Hogsmede. Apparating would have been faster but he needed yet more time to think. To go over scenarios that he had not yet covered. Things that could happen, things that might have already happened. The fact she might be married, engaged, with children. Unavailable. Perhaps she may not be there at all. Perhaps she may have married one of the others.

_'Please...not Potter.'_

…

Finding himself outside the three broomsticks sooner than he thought, he found his legs unable to make the few short paces that would lead him inside.

After all, she could have been there...Lily.

Lovely Lily Evans.

Inside, he heard a sudden roar of raucous laughter and what he was sure was the braying of a goat which somehow unlocked his legs as he managed to stagger forwards to peek inside through the stained glass and saw that Professor McGonagal had transfigured a table into a goat and that the owner of the hogshead was chasing it around the bar.

Raising an eyebrow, the door swung open as a shrunken head bobbed on its string, speaking in a high voice:

"Coming in? Or lurking outside like an under aged wizard?"

"I'm coming in, actually." he managed, a distinctive croak in his voice from lack of use.

"Well hurry!" it snapped and bounced back inside.

Snape gathered his cloak and walked in, at once the mood seemed to change as Hagrid bellowed:

"'ello Professor!"

"...Hagrid." nodded Snape conservatively and looked around, his eyes sweeping the room for a look of red hair, or even the sound of a particularly vibrant laugh.

"Not all of the guests have arrived yet, Severus." Albus began, his normal hat had been replaced with a muggle party hat that had a stream of ribbon that had been enchanted to float as though in a breeze.

"...I see." he nodded and looked for somewhere quiet to sit down. The entire place was alive with people drinking and laughing. It seemed the only quiet place was near several warlocks who were ramming their tankards on the table on occasion and pointing out problems on a piece of parchment.

"Come on Severus, come and sit with us!" Filius exclaimed and patted the only chair that was not occupied at the 'staff table'.

Sinking into the chair, he felt like he was at a funeral rather than a birthday.

"Speech!" bellowed Hagrid, his cheeks red from drinking and foam from his tankard dribbling down his beard.

Albus stood.

"...Another year has passed. And again, I find myself older still. So I have finally given up on the notion that one day I will become so old that I may actually become younger!"

There was a smatter of polite applause.

"I must thank Minerva, and of course Filius for holding this belated party so that we could reunite the staff for the occasion. I would also like to thank Pomona for her gift of a Mimbletus Mimbletonia which so far as succeeded in spraying all of my good books with its juices."

Professor Sprout merely chuckled.

"...and I would like to thank Severus, who was surgically removed from his essay stack to be here."

There was a few chuckles as Snape forced a small smile.

"So...if Madam Rosemerta would oblige..."

With a rap from Rosemerta's wand, all of the glasses in the room, including Snape's empty one that sat on the table in front of him, refilled with a honey coloured mead.

"May I congratulate you all on being here!" Albus finished. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" celebrated the crowd and everyone took a sip from their glass. Snape furtively tapped the bottom of his with his wand whilst pretending to sip and siphoned the fluid from it to give the impression he had drunk it. He did not need any alcohol to confuse his thoughts at present.

"Flaming hell Professor!" Hagrid laughed. "You've drunk yours!"

"Yes..." Snape nodded and placed the glass back on the table before looking around again.

It was looking likely that Lily may not turn up, though it had only just gone past seven.

"Headmaster, whom have you left in charge at present?" asked Madam Hooch.

"Professor Sinistra is currently suffering with her allergies, so she has agreed, with other members of the faculty to keep things locked down for the night." Albus remarked softly as he sipped his own Oak matured mead slowly. "And I have expressed should anything occur where they can find me."

"Aha." nodded Madam Hooch. "Thursdays game should be good, hmm Pomona? I hear your new seeker is something else!"

Snape let his ears stray from idle chatter as his thoughts drifted to the next stage of his 'plan'. So far, the plan has been: Get ready, walk to Hogsmede, sit down...and that was it. Now the next stage was...not to panic.

Keeping the same cool demeanour he had been keeping for the last 4 hours since learning of this evenings events he looked at the clock on the wall that had been modified so that instead of a cuckoo flying out, a muggle reading a newspaper did. 7:25...

'I'll stay until 7.30-No. 7.45, then I'll go and I won't have made a fool of myself by waiting like a fool, and I can save face and then I can just resign myself to the fact she would never have been here and-'

"Horace!" Albus declared as the door opened once more.

Snape looked up to see his old head of house walk in, flagged by Gwengog Jones, Dirk Creswell...and a number of others, but in the sea of new faces, he did not see one surrounded by a sea of beautiful red hair that would have put the sun to shame.

Slightly dejected, Snape got up and walked to the bar before leaning on it heavily.

"Professor Snape..." Rosemerta said warmly. "What can I get for you? What's your poison?" she winked.

"...Firewhiskey. One, please. Clear head needed for tomorrow." he said rubbing his eyes.

"Right away love!" she cheerfully said walking to the correct bottle behind the bar.

"...Professor...?"

Snape turned to look and was confronted by a pair of beautiful, green eyes. And a great deal of red hair, tucked into a green knitted beret.

…

"L..Lily...Evans?" he stammered, feeling that cold, icy, and solid demeanour crack into a thousand pieces, melt by those inquisitive eyes, and slid into pools of happiness that melted into his heart.

…

"Sev...?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Standing before her was not that gangly, dark arts loving, greasy haired 6th year she had shunned on that evening back in her 6th year. But, a tall, strongly built, smart looking, still greasy haired man. His face had lost its boyishness, and had taken on the maturity of a person who had, somehow, been through enough to grow into the adult body age had bestowed upon him. He looked...different, but...those eyes, those black eyes that sparkled like pools of ink were just as young...with that self same look of pain she had placed in them...Suddenly, guilt came upon her, and it was unwelcome.

"Lily..." his now adult, mature, yet still wonderfully soft, and quiet voice mumbled.

"...Sev." she repeated and allowed herself a small smile at the repetition.

He stood there, words seemed to be tumbling onto his tongue but none of them made to his lips.

She looked down at her shoes.

"...Long time no see...?" she smiled.

"...Indeed." he nodded.

"...You're a professor now?" she asked, feeling that taking the lead in the conversation may in fact lead for him to speak more easily and freely.

"Yes...Yes..." he nodded. "...too many years." He seemed to be looking down. Sev was never usually this shy around her.

"...Never had you down as going into teaching." she said, looking back up at him, only to find that he was looking at his shoes.

"Well, it was an option. And I took it."

His voice was curt, clipped, and cold. Not full of the same warmth of 7 glorious years of friendship. It was almost as if she were speaking to him through a pane of glass.

"...Right." she replied, easing off a little. "Well, I'll go and say happy birthday to the birthday boy..."

"...D-Drink?" she heard Severus suddenly stammer.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"...Drink? Can I...would you..." he cleared his throat, flicked his chin length black hair out of his face and mumbled. "May I get you a drink?"

"Sure..." she smiled. "Butterbeer would be-"

"I know, what you'll have." he replied silkily.

Lily smirked.

"Of course, I forgot. You always did like to pay for my drinks."

"Its the gentlemanly thing to do." he commented briefly.

"...Right." she smiled.

At last, he was starting to get back into the old swing of things. This playful badinage they once had, this was reminiscent of it.

"So...shall I go to our usual booth?" she asked, leaning on the bar and looking up at him.

"If you want to..." he replied cautiously.

"I'll be over there." she said, nodding towards a dark corner near the toilets.

"...Alright." he nodded and turned back towards the bar, his black hair obscuring the expression on his face.

Walking to their usual table, a dark corner of the bar they usually spent their free time in during their time at school she sat in her usual seat and looked around, hoping that nobody had missed her absence to the party. Hagrid was offering to pick Gwengog Jones up and swing her around and she was laughing and declining politely. Albus and Minerva were in deep conversation with Filius, and Horace was recalling loudly the time he was two inches from having a bludger up his nose when arguing with Madam Hooch over the score of a match. Madam Hooch was also laughing.

Severus had become a man. She...knew he would be here tonight. She knew that Albus would have tried everything to get him here, and also knew that her name would probably have been dropped to secure his attendance. She also knew that despite her initial misgivings at attending, she wanted to see what had become of him.

She heard, through school friends that Snape had declined to join his death eater friends after graduation, deciding to stay on the straight and narrow and that he had practically dropped off the face of the earth when it came to seeing his appearances in wizarding journals. Something that Horace Slughorn bemoaned after 'investing' so much faith in him.

But she still couldn't get the look of malice on his face when he growled that word out of her head. That word that made her wonder exactly how much of a friend he really was to her.

But, now, looking at him. He wasn't any longer that same person. Physically he had changed, and though a few muttered words in a tavern didn't constitute a full biography of him, he seemed to have changed mentally too.

Walking back over with two glasses of Butterbeer, he sat down opposite Lily hesitantly, as if he was unsure whether he had been invited to do so.

"...So...Lets catch up." Lily smiled warmly at him, leaning slightly in. "What do you teach?"

"...Potions." he mumbled, looking down at the bubbles popping in his Butterbeer

"Should have known." she grinned. "You always did excel in potions."

"Hmmm." he nodded.

There seemed to be something he wasn't saying and it was almost as if he were plucking up the courage to do so.

"...Sev, whatever it is...Just spit it out, okay?"

Snape looked up sharply at her and stammered silently before setting his jaw resolutely.

"...For what I said. For what I did. For how I hurt you. You will never understand how sorry I am."

Lily raised her eyebrows. For something that took so long to be said, it was very rehearsed.

"...Right...Well, its in the past now..." she said, looking down at her own Butterbeer, her fingers tracing the glass handle of the cup.

"...You must believe me, Lily. You were my best friend...My closest friend in the entire world."

"What about Mulciber?"

"Mulciber?" Snape burst out. "He's in Azkaban!"

"Yeah, but...You were his mate. I saw you hanging out together."

"Only because you wouldn't talk to me!"

"He put the imperius curse on Mary!"

Severus went to open his mouth to argue but closed it, closed his eyes, and reset his stature. Sitting up straight and looking at her.

"...I am no longer his friend."

"What about Malfoy? You know what I thought about him." she said, folding her arms, her green eyes blazing.

"Lily, this isn't much of a reunion." Snape said coolly, folding his hands in his lap neatly.

"Did you want to renew our friendship with all this crap in the way?"

Snape looked at her questioningly, as if to ask if she wanted to know him again. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of the candles.

"...Renew our friendship...?"

"Yeah. I mean. That is, if you want to." she smirked.

"...Well, of...of course...of course..." he cleared his throat after stammering. "...I want to. But you do forgive me?"

"...Sure." she smiled weakly.

She'd forgiven him a fair few years ago in fact. When she learned he was no longer practising dark arts from Horace Slughorn.

"...So...Tukes' Tonics and Tinctures?" he asked.

"Yeah." she grinned. "Junior potioneer, Horace secretly submitted a potion recipe I had written in my fourth year and they invited me to perform it in front of them. I won place of junior potioneer and-"

"...are you married?" Snape suddenly asked.

Lily stopped speaking and looked at him before giving a nervous little laugh as Snape closed his eyes and looked down.

"...I...I..." he tipped his drink over before standing. "Look, look what I've done. Excuse me...I'll get a replacement..."

And with that he swept from the table towards the bar.

Lily shook her head.

"In answer to your question Sev!" she called loudly. "...No. I'm not married."

Severus did not turn around to respond but instead appeared to try and manually dry his robes with a cloth from the bar.

He was acting in a really odd manner. Maybe he'd inhaled too many potion fumes through the years and it had addled his brain...

Lily looked towards the rest of the room where now Hagrid was being instructed to go home and 'sleep it off' by Filius who was now in the act of confiscating his umbrella. Strange seeing a half Giant taking a half Goblin's advice and staggering towards the exit.

Snape came and sat back down and looked at her. His cheeks had taken on a reddish tinge.

Lily decided to be kind and not point this out before taking a sip of her butter beer.

"I'm taking lodgings up here too. Above the shop. Mr. Tukes is retiring to Godric's hollow and his son already has a house there so...there's a flat above the shop."

"Hogsmede is a very pleasant place to live." Snape replied softly. "I have chambers at the school."

"Professor Slughorn's old place?" she asked. "I loved that office. It was huge."

"No...The Dungeons. I prefer it there. It is near to the common room."

"...Common room?" she asked, inclining her head.

"...I am the head of Slytherin." he confirmed. "...Not that I'd expect a Gryffindor to understand."

Lily laughed in shock as she saw the shadow of a grin on that solemn face.

"...I start work tomorrow..." she replied.

"...What did you do before?" he asked.

"I worked for the Prophet. I was one of their recipe witches." she smiled rolling her eyes. "It wasn't mentally taxing. So when I got offered this job, I was delighted. Now I can make all those potions that I always dreamed of."

Snape nodded.

"Maybe I'll have a bottle or two sent to me to inspect them." he suggested playfully.

"...Maybe you could pick them up yourself...?"

Snape paused as he tried to unravel what she had suggested.

"...Maybe I will..."

Lily went to smile.

"Severus!"

Snape looked behind him to see Filius covered in what looked like an orange and carrot coloured cape...

"Hagrid has just vomited all over me and collapsed. We need six of us to levitate him back to his hut...would you oblige?" he squeaked, looking less than enthusiastic.

Lily saw Snape's eyes close bitterly then saw him nod firmly.

"...I...We...I..." He floundered to her.

"See you soon...Sev." she smiled, nodding supportively.

A small smile crept on those pale lips and he nodded before turning and following Filius, Hooch, Minerva, and Pomona out with another Wizard tagging behind.

Lily had to admit. That gangly 6th year with greasy hair and sallow skin...had grown into quite a man.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Levitating a drunk, vomiting giant home would have been a tedious task for him usually, or for any of the faculty that had been called upon to manoeuvre the half breed back to his bed. But Snape's concentration was only partially on the game keeper's shoulders who he was levitating.

This evening, he had not only met Lily Evans, but also bought her a drink, learned of her marital status, and been given permission to meet her at her place of work!

Although in his outwardly, normal display he looked casually on as the slumbering giant's dribble threatened to splash the flagstones outside of Hogwarts and Argus Filch swore bitterly, Snape could not wait to get to his chambers and smile as wide as he dared.

As Filius and the rest of the staff managed to get Hagrid to stagger to his bed, he turned towards the castle and began to walk.

"Severus!"

Turning, irritably, he looked to where the voice had come from. Professor Sinistra, flagged by Professor Vector came running towards him, they had been waiting for him...

"Malfoy was caught-"

"Let me guess..." interjected Severus, raising his hand to stop them. "Malfoy has done something regrettable with a Gryffindor. I shall deal with it-"

"No...Severus. Its something more serious than that." Vector replied darkly. "He was found to have tried to place the Cruciatus curse on Hermione Granger."

Snape's mouth opened slightly, but he managed to catch it in time and remain impassive.

"...There shall be no need to trouble Mr. Malfoy, or the headmaster. I shall deal with him " Snape said smoothly. "Where is he?"

"Your office." Professor Sinistra replied and sneezed.

"Thank you..."

Snape took off at speed, walking through the wooden doors, down through the foyer, towards the dungeons.

It had been a splendid evening. One spent in a world of light and hope and now he was dragged irretrievably down into the depths of darkness and dankness by Malfoy's actions this evening.

Unsure of what he was even going to say to him, he threw open his office door to find Malfoy casually reclined in his chair, his feet on his desk.

"Get out of my seat this instant." he calmly hissed.

"I think not...Snape." he smirked. "I guess you're here to tell me off about cursing that mudblood, am I right?"

Snape felt a slither of anger uncurl in his stomach.

"That word has no place in this school, Malfoy. I have told you that before. Now kindly vacate my seat before I do it for you."

Malfoy raised his eyebrows and calmly got up and walked over to another seat in his office, sitting on it heavily. In the dim light of the fire from the fireplace he saw a cloud of dust evacuate it.

"What happened?" Snape snapped, leaning on his desk.

"Granger had it coming." Malfoy replied carelessly. "Swanning around this school like she owns the place. Someone had to teach her a lesson."

"Are you aware what the penalty is for using an unforgivable curse?" Snape asked, staring at Malfoy.

"Azkaban. But lets face it, as if my father would allow that." he snorted, looking to the jars on the shelf.

"Your father could not save you from that fate, Malfoy. You must understand that." Snape darkly muttered.

"My father answers to a higher master than Cornelius Fudge." Malfoy grinned.

Snape looked at him and swept upon him, inches from his face so that it wiped the stupid smirk from him.

"Wipe that childish grin from your stupid face, Malfoy." he spat. "You think that working for the dark lord is a walk in the park? If you fail to meet his expectations even once you and your family will be dead!"

Malfoy smirked again.

"...Fail to meet his expectations?" he asked softly. "...What, like you would? You're on the wrong side, Snape. And you're running out of time to join us."

"...Join you." Snape repeated with a sneer. "You think this is some silly game, boy. Where you all get club rings and say some ridiculous vow?"

"...Not rings...Snape."

Severus' eyes met Malfoy's sleeve.

Severus had heard that before, Voldemort marked his followers with a tattoo, a branding that they called the dark mark...Could he have placed it on a 14 year old boy?...Could those around him have done it?

"I will write to your father, and you shall serve a months detention starting Friday. Do you understand?"

Malfoy gave a shrug. Barely bothered.

"We'll see..." And with that he left the office.

Snape sat heavily on his chair.

...Had the dark lord somehow, returned? And marked Draco with the dark mark?

Impossible.

The dark lord had met his end 13 years ago when he had tried to kill Neville Longbottom. The story was legendary.

After one of the Longbottom's friends had betrayed their secret to the dark lord. Frank Longbottom had met his end trying to protect his wife and child. He was no match for the killing curse. Alice Longbottom had wrapped her arms around her son trying to shield him and her sacrifice had led to the killing curse placed on him being ineffective. They called it the Sacrifice of love.

He-who-must=not-be-named disappeared without a trace and now Neville Longbottom was the boy who lived. The only surviving person to have lived through the killing curse.

And ever since, Voldemort had been missing.

Dumbledore had often expressed his belief that one day he would return, though Snape knew of only one conceivable way, and that was too horrific to even contemplate.

If Lucius was indeed receiving orders from the dark lord...what would this mean for him...

Was time running out?

It was suddenly all so incomprehensible.

No. The dark lord was not back, it was impossible. Malfoy had clearly overheard his father talking to a business associate who had decided to put the fear of God into him...

Tomorrow, it would all be a distant memory, he would have to apologize to Miss. Granger and order Draco to do the same and then after lessons he might walk into Hogsmede and...

Suddenly, the warmth of the evening before this incident refilled the room like a pleasant scent.

...then he remembered her scent.

And her hair...

And her smile.

Snape smiled despite himself and realized that single evening, not even an hour in her company and he was smiling as if he were drunk on Butterbeer. It would have to be something he kept in careful check tomorrow during classes. Any form of merriment on his part would be seen as a weakness and therefore would lead to unnecessary blemishes on what was a wonderful memory.

No, this particular brand of happiness would have to dwell exclusively in his battered soul, for now at least.

Locking his door, he walked towards his bed and lay on it, still fully clothed, clothing his eyes to fully summon her beautiful image to his mind.

Those eyes, those beautiful almond shaped eyes...Locked onto his.

It filled him with the warmth of firewhiskey...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The longest day of Severus' life started on Tuesday morning at 7.30 am in the great hall where he was forced to leave his breakfast to separate to Gryffindors who were fighting over the affections of a Ravenclaw girl and remove 25 house points, which wasn't actually a chore.

Make his way to his first years class where he had to not only find a way of removing powdered porcupine quills from an ear canal but also wonder how someone had gotten a boggart living in their cauldron.

His second lesson was to his N.E.W.T class where he had poisoned one of the class and expected at least one of them to be able to cure the student in question.

Unfortunately, his class proceeded to scream, several of the girls and one pathetically weak boy started crying before someone fainted. It was only when Snape threatened the entire class with five points a piece deducted from their houses that someone summoned the intelligence to push a beazor into the persons mouth.

That 'ingenuity' led to Snape not deducting points but to set a 16 inch essay on the correct antidote for the poison used.

The third lesson was uneventful but for the time that a flock of geese waddled in and started nesting in the potions closet only to learn that it was a Transfiguration exercise gone wrong and that McGonagal would pay for anything broken or swallowed. Unfortunately, one of the magical geese had swallowed a bloating beverage and was now bouncing around the room like a fluffy beachball.

Fourth Period was spent in silence as Snape handed out a quiz while detailing to Filch how best to clean out the residual mess in his closet.

Lunch was uneventful, as was fifth period.

But lesson Six was his third year Gryffindor and Slytherin class. Malfoy.

Tapping the board once with his wand he listed the ingredients for a shrinking solution, he then cast his wand to the potions door leaving the students free to collect the ingredients they needed.

Turning back to his desk he looked through the stack of homework. After checking through a few times, he noticed that Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Longbottom had failed to turn in their assignments.

Glancing over at Longbottom, he saw that the round faced boy was busy cutting up daisy roots, he let his glance move swiftly to the trio of Slytherin who were messing around near their Cauldrons.

"...Mr. Malfoy...Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle...perhaps there is a reason you find it impractical to hand in your assignments?" he asked smoothly.

"...I can't write, Sir." Malfoy smirked. "...My left arm hurts."

"...Me neither..." grinned Crabbe as Goyle grabbed his left arm.

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"...Then perhaps you should go and show Madam Pomfrey."

Malfoy's smirk wavered.

"No. I thought not. After class, you can stay behind and finish it during Study hour... Seeing as you are...Right-handed..." Snape smirked nastily.

The class seemed to be amused by this.

"Quiet."

"...And Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe can join you." Snape added darkly before moving his gaze over to Longbottom.

"...Tell me, Longbottom. Does your left arm hurt too?" Snape asked silkily.

"...No Sir." came the soft voice. "...Just my scar."

The class made a sound as if scandalized.

"...And has that prevented you from handing in your essay? Perhaps, being the centre of media attention has led to your diary simply being too full to handle menial tasks such as learning..."

The Slytherins jeered from their side of the dungeon.

"Detention. Longbottom, To be served with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle."

"But tonight-"

"Detention and 15 house points from Gryffindor."

To his left Ronald Weasley went to speak his mind.

"...Or could you care to make it an even 30."

Hermione Granger gave him a look of 'leave it'.

"...Yes, listen to Miss. Granger, Weasley." Snape muttered coolly before returning to his desk.

As usual, Miss. Granger produced the best potion and he begrudgingly awarded her 10 points, not the usual 15 and he dismissed the class before arranging for the four students who had not done their essays to attend the study session that would take place in the great hall with Professor Vector and Madam Pince supervising.

When the last of his students had left the classroom, he realized that despite the rest of the essays that stared glumly at him and needed marking. There was one very strong pull in his stomach. It took him a few moments to identify it.

It was the pull of promise.

Of something good.

Something he had felt last night.

When he heard her voice, saw her eyes, smelt that self-same perfume she wore...

Today he could go and see Lily.

Lily Evans...

Tidying up his stack of essays, just this once he was tempted to go through and scribble A's on all of them and an E on Miss. Grangers but immediately dismissed that line of thought and walked swiftly to his office to put them on his desk before seizing his cloak and engaging what happened to be a new habit.

Checking his reflection.

He corrected his collar again, swept some dust from his chest and walked, with an obvious spring in his step towards the main foyer.

This time, rather than walking to Hogsmede, in his haste to get there, he disapparated, reapparating opposite Tukes' in between a pair of students that were comparing Zonko goodies.

The pair of students sprung apart as Snape tidied his robes.

"..."

Snape looked at the pair.

"...Stebbins, Carter. You do realize that Zonko products are currently on the list of confiscated items. I shall have to conficate them."

"But! Professor-" Stebbins protested.

Snape took the bag from him and pointed towards the school.

"Also, I shall overlook the fact you are out of bounds! Consider yourself blessed that I am in a reasonable mood!"

The pair looked at one another before scurrying towards the school.

Snape looked darkly at them until they had gone from view, then turned his attention to Tukes'.

The old fashioned shop front was painted a faded navy and in the windows a set of beakers mixed themselves performing different coloured puffs of smoke each time they mixed.

Through the shop door's window he could see a familiar red haired woman in an unfamiliar grey tunic with a blue shirt smiling at a customer. The same smile that looked as if the sun shone from behind it.

Hesitating only briefly, he walked forwards to open the door only to find a merry sounding voice booming from behind him.

"Severus!"

He looked behind him to see Ludo Bagman bounding up towards him. Looking as if he had just won the Daily Prophet Lottery.

"Mr. Bagman...?" Snape asked quizzically.

"Just had a bit of business to attend to in the Hogs Head, trying to organize the Quidditch World Cup Sponsorship, but Aberforth is having none of it of course..."

"...I..."

"Not feeling well Severus?" he asked, looking at the shop.

"I...Well."

"Would have thought you were a dab hand at mixing yourself a potion up to fix whatever it was!" He cheerfully beamed. "I hear from Sluggy you were one of his brightest students!"

"Yes I..."

"That and pretty little Lily Evans. Always going on about the pair of you he was..." reminisced Bagman.

Snape's eyes were drawn towards the beautiful red head behind the counter in Tukes' and how he was being kept away from her by a babbling idiot.

"...Oh..." smirked Bagman knowingly. "So it is LOVE that ails you...Lovely Lily Evans being the culprit!"

Snape looked up sharply, shocked and wondering if it was so hopelessly evident on his usually cold face.

"...Don't worry Severus old boy!" said Bagman with the air of someone who was happy at having been right, he tapped the side of his nose conspiratorially. "...I can keep a secret!"

"Ludovic..." began Snape in an unusually familiar manner. "...I am just feeling unwell that is all, a tonic.."

"I won't tell!" laughed Bagman and walked away laughing.

Snape swallowed hard and opened the door forcefully, accidentally bustling a lady who had several pimples on the end of her nose in a definite pattern.

"Sorry..." he muttered before walking towards the counter. Lily had her back to the half full shop and was busy labelling a tall blue bottle.

"Madam Kendall?" she called. Her eyes surveyed the waiting area and found Sev.

"...Sev..." she smiled.

Her smile seemed to activate the butterflies that had recently taken refuge in his stomach.

"...Li-"

"That's mine." the pimply nosed woman promptly said and took the potion before bustling out of the shop.

Lily smiled and shook her head.

"She's just annoyed because her toddler daughter grabbed her wand and did that..."

Snape gave a weak smile and looked at her, he was hoping that his gaze was not as showing as it was to Ludo earlier. He wanted to stare at Lily, stare at her all day. Drinking in everything she had, everything she was, desperate to fill up too many years spent away from her. But bitter sweet urges to be cool and collected forced him to simply smile passively, and admire her beauty, her radiance, and her gentleness.

"...So what can I get you?" she asked brightly.

...Was he expected to buy something!

Had he caught the wrong end of the stick and she had simply invited him into the shop to buy?

Oh Merlin, this was embarrassing!

"Uh...I..."

"Sev, i'm joking." she smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Oh." he nodded and gave a weak smile too.

"So, I get off in 15 minutes..." she began, tilting her head. "Wondered if maybe you fancied going for a walk, maybe catch a drink?"

"...That would be good." he nodded conservatively. "There's a tearoom around here."

"Yeah, I know." she nodded. "Look, let me just clean up in the back, then i'll be out..." she peered over the counter. "Zonko bag?"

"...Confiscated goods." Snape explained.

"...They're STILL banned?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. As well as fanged frisbees, and recently, cockroach clusters. Someone managed to confund the elves into serving them for breakfast."

Lily laughed, her laugh to Severus was a welcome sound as he managed himself a small smile, not because of the incident which had NOT been funny, but because he had managed to make her laugh.

His eyes drifted over her hungrily, taking in the contours of her adult body, something he had not yet seen-

Stop it.

His eyes flashed up to her face, hoping she had not seen his roving look but she was too busy ringing up sales from earlier.

Snape swallowed and pressed against the counter slightly, trying to hide something that made him feel very much a teenager again.

"...I'll wait outside for you." he offered weakly.

"...Alright Sev. See you later." she smiled and carried on.

Snape wrapped his cloak around himself and walked out into the street and around to the alleyway beside the shop before breathing out heavily.

He had just had a very embarrassing experience and hoped she had not seen or noticed it.

Looking at her womanly figure, for the first time...Without the innocence of youth, the blinkeredness of teenage years when all he wanted was to kiss her, had turned into something much more complex. Something unwelcome, and welcome.

The feeling of lust...

Of wanting to take her into his arms, to kiss her, run his hands over her rounded, curvy hips, up her back, to her head of thick red hair...pressing his chest against those full, round...perfect...

Snape groaned in discomfort as his lust became apparent down below...

Resting his head back against the white washed alleyway wall he felt a faint pang of pleasure at the thought that he would be in her company once more in a few minutes...and that he should probably get rid of whatever in his mind was causing this...problem.

Meeting Lily Evans with a sudden limp was not the impression he wanted to make.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lily came out of the shop, wearing a knitted woollen green coat and her usual beret. Smiling at Severus, he felt he was the luckiest man in all of the world when he realized that smile was for him.

"Right...Madam Puddifoot's is it?" she asked.

"Yes, I believe so." he nodded before looking towards the quaint little cafe.

"...Ever been inside before?" she asked.

"...Pardon?"

"Madam Puddifoots?"

"Oh. No...No..." he shook his head. "...Never been...well, I never had the inclination."

"I have." she nodded.

Snape felt the uneasy twist of something unwelcome in his stomach.

"...Oh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Mary MacDonald asked me to accompany her on a date here once with Pettigrew..." Lily smiled, her hands in her coat pocket as she walked towards the cafe up the slight incline.

"Oh..." nodded Snape, relieved. "Pettigrew?"

"Yeah, it was kind of a pity thing to be honest." she nodded.

"Right..." Snape agreed.

"Why are you so quiet, Sev? You were never normally THIS quiet when we hung out." she began pushing open the door. The bell above gave a slight tinkle announcing their arrival.

Snape knew instantly he had made the wrong choice of locale for their first proper chat.

The cafe was a hive of 'cuteness'. Lace doilies, pink table clothes, delicate lace curtains, vomit inducing tables carved with hearts of past loves...

"...Are you sure you want to-"

"Oh this place is cute!" Lily giggled before making her way to a fireside seat.

Snape sighed heavily, half hung his head and walked dejectedly towards the table before hiding himself with a menu.

"...Problem being seen with me Sev?" she smirked.

"Not with you Lily, just in here..."

"Worried it will affect your 'street cred ' Sev?" chuckled Lily.

"...Street Cred?" Snape replied as if he had just spoken an alien language.

Lily shook her head as Madam Puddifoot waddled her way over.

"What can I get you m'dears?...Why why! Its Severus Snape!" she chuckled throwing her notepad down against her ample lap and chuckling, her rosy cheeks growing a further shade of pink.

"...hmmm." Severus said, wondering if the fire crackling merrily beside him was on the floo network.

"...I never thought i'd see you here!" she laughed cheerfully. "What can I get you two darlings?" she asked.

"Two coffees will be fine." Said Lily, sparing Severus the pain of speaking again.

"...Two coffees coming right up!" she beamed before waddling back to the kitchen area.

"Merlin's beard..." cursed Snape looking at the floor.

"Hey..." she began, leaning forwards and touching his hand softly with her fingers.

Snape looked at his hand, staring at her fingers on his.

"Just ignore her...she's mental." she smiled playfully. Her green eyes wide and kind.

They had always been so wide...and so very kind.

Snape had to resist every single urge in his body to not wrap his own fingers around her gentle ones.

"..."

Lily smiled benevolently, removing her fingers before looking around.

"...What have you done since school finished?" Snape began awkwardly.

"Me? Well, moved back to Cokeworth, stayed with my parents for a bit...Then I went travelling around all the wizarding villages, doing research...Planned to write a book but never got around to it. Then I got a place in London near Diagon Alley. Got work as a recipe witch..." she rolled her eyes. "...Then Sluggy did this...and, ta-da!"

Snape nodded. Listening intently. Trying to picture her in these places, trying to see if there was a man at her side...

"...And you lived alone?"

"Nope, flat shared with a muggle called Caroline." she giggled. "Caroline loved having me as a flat mate, always amazed at how fast the housework got done..."

Snape smiled appreciatively.

"...And working for the Prophet...how come I never read your name?"

"Fond of the recipe pages were we, Sev?" she smiled.

"No! I just...No...I mean...I read the prophet from cover to cover..."-_always hoping to see your name_...

"I went under the Pseudonym Alphadora Merryweather." Lily smiled comfortingly. "Didn't want any of my old class mates to think i'd been reduced to writing magical recipes."

Snape nodded.

"...And you? What have you done since School ended?" she asked as Madam Puddifoot came over with two coffees.

"...I went travelling for a year or two...then I was offered post as potions master." he nodded.

"Travelling?"

"Norway, Finland, Sweden. Scandinavian wizardry." he nodded. "Needed to get away from home."

"Of course..." her voice was sympathetic now, her almond eyes creased in understanding. "...Do you still see-"

"They're both dead."

The severity of his pronunciation had been unusually dark in the midst of all of the tacky pink décor.

"...What was it?"

"He died of a heart attack, a few months later her heart failed too. I sometimes wonder if she still loved him so much that she couldn't..."

There was her hand again...

He wanted so badly to hold it.

So very badly...

"It doesn't matter. Death would have been an escape for her." Snape insisted and sipped at his coffee. It was sweet and disgusting. He put it down.

"...Did you go to the funerals?"

"I went to mothers..." he nodded. "Barely a funeral..."

All of the happiness had been sucked away as if a Dementor had sat beside them. Drinking their souls as if they were a latte.

"...Do you see Petunia?" Snape asked. Trying to lighten the mood slightly but failing miserably judging by the sudden frown on her face, thought she kept her fingers on his hand again, caressing it slightly.

"Not since...three Christmases back. Her little boy called me a freak so...I charmed his burger to moo at him."

Snape let out a sudden peal of laughter and continued to chuckle.

She smirked at him slightly.

"Wow, he can laugh!"

Snape sobered up slightly.

"...Didn't misuse of magic get you?" he asked.

"Nah, Petunia didn't want a scene and said it was an honest mistake. But lets just say i'm not welcome around there any more..." she smiled.

Snape smiled and then looked down at his hand, to see his fingers were curled around hers.

His breath caught in his throat, his heart beat rapid against his ribs...

He could hear it in his ears...

He looked at her, feeling the blood rush from his cheeks, down into his stomach where it had dropped...

Her beautiful almond eyes creased, not in shock, or disgust...But in a smile.

Her fingers curled back around his and...he was holding her hand, and she was holding his...

Not the casual, platonic intimacy of a hug after succeeding at a spell.

Not the gentle, consoling hug after being tormented by Potter.

Not a pat on the back after Slytherin failed to win a match.

This was hand holding...and the warmth of her tender soft skin on his was a beautiful song in his heart that he had heard before, yet forgot its melody...

Until now.

"...L-Lily..." he began, the words falling from his lips into the depths of oblivion.

"...Sev?" she smiled.

"...You...You're holding my hand."

"...No Sev, you're holding mine."

Snape went to argue, but found he could not. As there was no real answer to that.

Snape wanted to end the sweet, bitter-sweet twisting in his gut and ask outright.

_'Lily Evans, will you go out with me?'..._

"Sev...are you allowed guests at Hogwarts?" Lily asked, her voice soft and gentle, yet with a trait of...mischief.

"Certainly..." He nodded, staring at the fingers that were wrapped around his. "Should one wish to visit, usually after classes, unless they want to see the students working which is fine of cou-"

She placed a finger on his lips.

It was cool yet burned like fire...

"...I don't want to visit the students...Severus."

Snape felt something inside him explode, yet ever so quietly...

"...Lily...?" he near whispered, her fingers still on his lips. "...Wh-what do you mean...?"

"...Put two and two together..." she smiled, removing the finger. "...Sev..."

"...Are you...suggesting we...?"

"We're both adults Sev..." she smiled, her eyes seductive and alive. "...Come on..."

"...We...'date'?"

The words felt alien on his lips. Childish and stupid. He regretted saying them the instant after they had been uttered.

But to his shock, she smiled, not in a mocking manner, more in a suggestive way.

"...If that's what they're calling it these days..." she grinned. "...When two friends get together to see if their friendship could develop into something...else..."

Snape looked around. Unsure if he was the butt of a prank. A joke. If he was dreaming, if Lily had been placed under the imperius curse.

He...he could...

He quickly took a sip of disgusting coffee and the moment he tasted its foul over-sweetness on his tongue, knew he was awake.

"...Unless you don't want to..." she pouted slightly, her green eyes afraid now.

"NO!"

The volume and forcefulness of his own voice, plus the springing up and nearly upturning the table shocked him, and Lily who covered her mouth and permitted herself a chuckle.

"...I mean..I...I...Well, No...No..Of...Of course, I want to...Lily...Its just...No. No...that would be fine...When?"

"Well, tomorrow would be good. I'm still settling in right now...second night over Tukes', But...tomorrow evening? Could...I drop by, meet you at the gates at say...7?" she asked, her cheeks a rosy colour, her lips glistening, her eyes...so deliciously...beguiling.

"Yes..." he found himself almost groan.

"...Then 7 it is..." she smiled, she checked the teapot shaped clock over the fire mantle. "Oh hell...Sev, I am SO sorry, I have to go. The caretaker was meant to be fixing the plumbing in ten minutes! Can...can I see you tomorrow?"

"...Sure..." replied Snape a little punch drunk.

"Cool...well, see you then..." she smiled getting up and putting down some coins for her coffee.

Then to his complete shock.

...She kissed his cheek.

Snape's cheeks reddened, and suddenly the rapid thudding in his ears had transformed into a bellowing roar of celebration.

Lily...

Lovely Lily Evans had kissed his cheek...

He hadn't even noticed her leave, or saw Madam Puddifoot remove the cups, or even that he was caressing where she had kissed.

...Lily Evans...had asked HIM...on a date.

Kissed HIS cheek.

Expressed a desire to meet with HIM tomorrow evening at HIS quarters.

Leaving Madam Puddifoot's having paid for his drink...he pondered going to the post office, writing a brief note and having it sent to James Potter, wherever he may be, and imagining the look on his face when he read the words:

_'IN YOUR FACE. Sincerely, Severus Snape.'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Waving goodbye to the grumpy caretaker who had simply tapped her lavatory pipe once to make it work she leaned back against the door and rested her head against the comforting wooden exterior.

She had just asked Sev out on a date...at his place...tomorrow.

Had she done the right thing?

It began this morning when a spotty girl aged 20 had come in and begged for her to make some Amortentia. After going through the usual routine of explaining the dangers, consequences and so on and so forth and asking her to sign a waiver she set about gathering the ingredients and telling her to come back in around 45 minutes.

Making the potion was easy enough, she had made it enough in the past as practice for exams and so forth so it was very much like riding a bike, though oddly enough, when she had asked to borrow Sev's notes he had guarded that page very much like a dog with a bone.

Watching the mother-of-pearl sheen start to texture and the spiral shaped steam start to ascend she knew she had brewed yet another perfect batch and leaned in, as if she would a roast, to smell the product of her work.

What she smelled shocked her.

She smelled fresh linen...No big shock there.

She smelled cut grass after a hot day...A favourite of hers.

And a smell she had not smelled for a while, yet was familiar to her now...

It smelled like clean, pressed clothing, a light smell of clean smoke...and of warm hair...

Severus.

She stumbled back from the cauldron, taken aback that the smell was what it was and wondered what it went.

She knew that Amortentia was a powerful synthetic love potion that would create the effects of love needed to whomever it was administered. That it required continual administering and that it smelled differently to whomever smelled it. For example...Mary MacDonald, her best friend at School once made a batch to try and Sirius Black and claimed she could smell him in it...as well as barbecue chicken and cellophane.

Did...this mean she loved Severus?

No doubt, after last night when she got in, she did spend a great deal of the evening, up until her toilet exploded, thinking about him.

Mostly shocked that the thin, lanky boy whose Hogwarts robes always seemed so over large for him had grown up into a man. A well built, tall, strong looking man. He had grown into his features, his hair was no longer awkwardly cut and hanging around his chin, in fact...it suited him. His voice had lost that teenage uncertainty. It was strong, and somehow...managed to draw you in.

She actually found herself hanging from his every word...And not for the reason she had hoped...

The more she thought about him, the more she realized that perhaps...just maybe...he..might be...well...good to be around, in THAT way...

After all, he had stopped dealing with the dark arts. Something that ceased their friendship last time...

Perhaps he had changed...

Perhaps this may be a welcome addition to why she was here...

She had always considered him her closest friend and had never thought about him in THAT way...he was always Sev...Sev from Spinner's end who had first told her she was perfectly normal, in his book.

But now...he wasn't Sev any more...

Not that little boy by the river who wore ill fitting clothes yet had so much to tell.

Nor was he that target for bullies at Hogwarts who she needed to protect.

He was Severus Snape...Professor of Potions...Head of Slytherin.

She had gone back to that cauldron full of Amortentia and took another deep breath, smelling him again and assessing what was happening. Her heart seemed to beat faster, a clear image of Sev at the table last night came into her mind...Her palms began to sweat...

She pushed the cauldron aside and began to make preparations to bottle it with additional brewing instructions.

For the rest of the day, she found herself scrutinizing the fact she had strong, romantic feelings towards Severus. And that they were recent. Very recent.

She tried to validate them, wondering if they were the effects of Amortentia...But realized herself as a skilled potioneer that Amortentia had to be imbibed to have the effects felt, and even then had to have part of the object of desire in them.

That it was a confusion at having seen him again. Especially with what had happened of late...

But she knew she forgave him...and had been thinking about him prior to their meeting.

It was only when the woman came back in for her potion that she realized...

"Amortentia...2 Galleons please." Lily smiled.

The woman handed over two sweaty galleons that had been clutched in her hand for some time.

"Thank you..." she pulled out the cork and smelled the potion. "Oh! It smells just like him!...I just need him to see me for who I am...then I know he will love me..."

Lily smiled weakly and nodded before the woman left the shop in a hurry.

She realized that perhaps...in this new Sev, there was something that she needed to find. Something that made her feel that way...

Moving to lay down on her bed she imagined him up at the castle right now and wondered what he was doing.

It made her smile to imagine him marking essays, or teaching, or anything like that, as Severus had always spoke of writing books, and changing the way we think about Defence against the dark arts...Or at least he used to...before Mulciber, and Avery...and all the rest of them got involved.

On her back, a faint stinging made her remember an uneasy memory that she intended to keep locked away.

She wondered for a brief moment what he would look like when he was smiling properly...not just forced or momentary. Or what his laugh would sound like when he meant it...and about something good.

What his eyes looked like when they weren't clouded over by something else on his mind.

Or how soft his lips would feel against hers...

Or how good it may feel to press her lips against his, feel his hands run around her waist and under her jumper...

Lily grinned weakly at the thought.

This date would definitely be a positive thing...

Snape looked around his chambers and wondered how any woman would feel even half romantically inclined in this place.

Was it the dead creatures in jars that floated ominously on his bookshelf?

Perhaps the many labelled bottles of old and now useless potions he refused to throw away due to their usefulness in separating their parts for lessons.

Or the general inhospitality of it all.

He would need to get a curtain to separate his private quarters from the rest of the room, perhaps curtains to hide the jars too...

Just then there came a brusque wrapping on the door.

"...Who is it?" asked Severus automatically.

"...Lucius."

Lucius?

Flicking his wand carelessly at the stack of now marked essays now filed into his draw he flicked his wand again at the door.

"Come in."

The door swung open and Lucius walked in casually.

"...How are things Lucius?" Snape offered carelessly, leaning back on his desk.

"Well. Well, not as well as they could have been seeing as Longbottom lost me my servant last year." he sneered.

"...A pity." Severus remarked calmly. "...May I help you?"

"Draco tells me you placed him in detention for not doing his homework." Lucius commented briefly, his eyes flicking around the room.

"Indeed." Snape nodded.

"I believe it prudent that that was the case, but to place him in detention with Longbottom?"

"Same crime, same punishment,surely." Snape replied.

Lucius' grey eyes met Snape's black ones.

"...Surely, given the circumstances, it may be prudent to perhaps show favour to the winning side...Severus."

Severus looked away.

"I see no game being played here, Lucius."

"No game at all, Severus. Nobody here is playing. I am just saying, if you were to be more...clement to Draco, when the time came...It may carry you favour. That is...unless you are considering joining-"

"Not at all Lucius." Snape remarked coldly. "And I have no intention of doing so."

Lucius' face twisted into an angry grimace.

"...Still hiding behind Dumbledore?"

"No. I'm just not going to be browbeaten into joining a pathetic memorial group for the dark lord." Snape sneered with as much derision he could muster.

"...Memorial?" smirked Malfoy. "...Oh No...No no no...No memorial, Severus..."

"Are you telling me that a group of death eaters with negligible intelligence have managed to do something that more intelligent and gifted wizards have been trying to for years and have in fact, awoken the dead?" he near laughed.

"...He was never dead..."

Snape rolled his eyes and looked at Malfoy.

"Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, Malfoy or are you hoping to find the resurrection stone in my office?"

Lucius' eyes hardened.

"...This is your last chance, Snape."

"For what?" Snape asked bitterly. "To be part of a deluded group of has-beens?"

Lucius made a disgruntled face and stormed from his room.

"You shall see Snape!"

Moments later, a phoenix patronus appeared before him in the place where Lucius had stood.

Dumbledore.

"...Come to my office at once."

Snape sighed bitterly and pulled on his cloak. A nice quiet night in when he actually needed one to prepare for what happened to be his first and only date in 30 odd years and he was getting summons to meet with the headmaster and a very unwelcome request to join the death eaters!

Walking towards Dumbledore's office which was secreted above a statute of a Phoenix, he waved his wand impatiently saying:

"Toffee Bon Bon."

At once the Phoenix started turning and with a loud grinding noise he stepped onto the third step and waited to make the needlessly dramatic entrance into the room.

Dumbledore was tending to his pet Phoenix Fawkes when he arrived.

"Ah, Severus, take a seat..." Dumbledore offered

Severus took a seat and looked at him.

"You summoned me?"

"Yes, I saw that Lucius Malfoy had graced our hallowed halls of learning with his 'honourable' presence, I trust he was not handing in a permission slip for Hogsmede?"

"No...It is as you imagine, headmaster." nodded Snape. "...Recruitment."

Dumbledore did not look particularly moved by this piece of information.

"...Ah, is that so?" he began whilst plucking a feather from Fawkes' crest. "...He has a wee bit of mange..." he continued before incinerating the offending plume. "Well, what did you tell him?"

"Oh, well, I signed up then and there and got my dark mark and complimentary quill of course (!)." Snape muttered sardonically.

Dumbledore smiled indulgently at him.

"And how did Lucius take your polite declination?"

"He stormed off."

"Ah...Right then..."

"He says there is a way for him to come back..." Snape confessed. "He did not elaborate except to say, he did not die."

Dumbledore paused over his copy of the Prophet and looked to Snape.

"...Did not die."

"That is what he said." Snape began. "...Headmaster, forgive my asking. But why is it that they want me so very badly?"

Dumbledore folded his paper so that the recipe page was showing.

"...A man who is so knowledgeable in two fields that may be of interest to Death Eaters, is a notable addition to their ranks. However...I believe it may be not so much what you know...But more of what you can do..."

Snape lowered his eyes to try and decipher this cryptic message but the picture of a stirring spoon in a bowl on the recipe page brought back memories of Lily.

"...Is there something you want to tell me, Severus?" he asked.

"Tell you...headmaster?" he asked, no longer distracted.

"...Yes." smiled Dumbledore.

"No..."

Fawkes looked up majestically from his food and let out a single, beautiful note that seemed to wrap itself around Snape's heart like velvet.

"Fawkes is correct, Severus."

"Tomorrow, Lily Evans will be visiting me in my quarters." Snape almost conceded.

Dumbledore smiled widely.

"Excellent!"

"...Excellent...headmaster?" Snape questioned, his eyes creasing quizzically.

"Excellent!" he confirmed.

There was a small knock at the door. A timid knock.

"Come in!" Dumbledore called.

Snape turned around and looked at Neville Longbottom who came in and hovered near Snape, eyeing him curiously.

Snape gave him the customary: 'what are you looking at?' glare before getting up.

"Am I excused, headmaster?" he asked.

"Certainly Severus." Dumbledore. "Mr. Longbottom and I have things to discuss."

Severus nodded and walked to the door before descending the stone staircase.

Tonight had been strange. Lily agreeing to a date, something she had suggested. Lucius Malfoy trying to sign him up to work for Lord Voldemort. And Albus giving him a blessing to start a relationship with Lily...

Perhaps tomorrow, this would all make more sense.

He made his way back to his chambers and wondered if he could send an emergency owl to the Department of Mysteries to acquire a time turner to go back 6 months and start a batch of Felix Felicis for tomorrow...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

No homework was issued to general surprise to all students. Owls were held and he made sure that all faculty, prefects, and head boy and girl of Slytherin house knew that this evening he was incommunicado.

Having no female friends, family...or faculty member he was close enough to, to as, he had to divine from the very little he knew about women about what Lily may expect from his chambers and looking at it.

He assumed it would be to her standards, now at least.

He had placed many candles around the room and charmed them not to let off wax. An unexpected fire, despite its ease to fix, was not what he would deem romantic, unless she was part salamander.

He had hung a green and silver curtain in Slytherin colours between his living area and bedroom area. Another over his jars of specimens. Permitted a house elf to clean his room early this week and had managed to make the cushions a bit more habitable by a few household charms he had researched in the library.

The room still smelled vaguely of simmering potions and clean steam. But that was just part of the room now...

Folding his arms he examined what he could do and had an inspired thought.

Casting Orchideous, conjuring a few vases he produced several flower arrangements. Each one of Lilies. Calla, Tiger, and of course, normal pure white Lillies, each giving off a beautiful smell...But none so nearly as lovely as their namesake...

He turned to his clock and saw that the time had skipped suddenly from 5:15 to 6:45 while he had been doing all of this.

He pulled on his frock-coat, something he had bought a long time back for a Hogwarts ball and walked out of his room, locking it with the normal precautions he took.

Walking past students whose curfew was 7.30 not 6.45 they stopped their usual pastimes of giggling, gossiping, teasing and general school-student behaviour to take a look at their potions professor who was looking very well...different.

He could hear things, things that only a teacher with a carefully honed sense of hearing could hear.

Things like:

"Has he WASHED his hair!"

"...That's not his normal coat."

"...Where's his cloak?"

"...Is THAT a smile?"

Snape secretly wanted to smile even wider than the slight, frail facial gesture he was sporting at this moment but knew that he shouldn't. Despite the fact he had not yet planned a way for them to get back into the castle without being seen by students, staff and prefects, nothing could spoil this moment.

At this precise moment, Snape felt like the dark lord himself could apparate directly before him and he could simply conjure a fish and slap him away...

And cast a Patronus the size of a...

Snape stopped a moment and smiled as the first romantic thought he had ever had came to him.

Holding out his wand he closed his eyes and cast a corporal Patronus.

At once, the silver doe bounded off to find its destination...

Lily was approaching the castle gates, those familiar gates she had travelled through so often as a younger girl. She was wearing a green travelling cloak over her dress to not arouse suspicion of anyone watching. The local Junior potioneer of Tukes' meeting with a Potion's master might get a few tongues clacking, and given what she was wearing underneath, may increase their speed and ferocity and her hair was in its usual loose state but for a few curls she had added as an after thought with her wand whilst making her way towards Hogwarts.

Suddenly she was approached by a rapid shining Patronus and quickly got out her wand before realizing it meant her no harm...and it was...

It was her Patronus.

It lowered its head to her and turned tail and waited for her, as if it were her chaperone leading her to the castle.

She had never heard of a magic that could replicate your Patronus before...and wondered if Hagrid had some how let some enchanted half-doe, half-unicorn out of the forest for a trial run.

"...You're not going to bite me...are you...?" she asked timidly.

The doe inclined its head.

There was something beautifully familiar about it, despite it being her own Patronus. She felt no danger in something so pure, and so white...

So she followed it.

It led her up the winding path, through the grounds, past the forbidden forest Sev and she would sneak into to find controlled potion substances for extra credit research, past Hagrid's Hut, where by the sounds of it, he was sleeping something off...

Towards the doors.

She had a sneaking suspicion this Doe was something to do with Sev, as he had promised to meet her at the gates and was nowhere in sight...

Through the doors where the Doe kept her steady, silent pace, walking slowly, as if directed by some imaginary force.

The halls had not changed much...Not at all in fact. And the students, in the now unacquainted uniforms were glancing at her before glancing away, barely noting her.

She may as well have been a ghost in that school.

But she had never felt more alive.

The doe led her down some stairs to the cooler air of the dungeons where she knew Severus would be waiting, knowing now that this romantic gesture was his, but at the same time knowing that she wanted to know how he replicated her Patronus.

As the Doe waited at the Slughorn's old chambers, she saw the door open and saw Severus was standing there. The candlelight within making his smile both sinister, yet beguiling...

He was wearing his usual frock-coat and attire, yet it looked refined, smarter.

More...formal.

"...Sev." she smiled.

"Come in...Lily." he said stepping back.

She was like the very embodiment of all that was beautiful. Though she stood there with her red hair in a few loose curls, and a plain looking travelling cloak, she was everything he thought aesthetically pleasing in the world.

"Cute trick..." she chuckled nodding to where the doe had stood now vanished.

"...Trick?" he asked offering to take her cloak.

She undid the clasp on her cloak and let it slip to the crooks of her arms to reveal a velvet green dress, hugging her figure in all the right places.

Muggle made...for its obvious lack of length...

But its low neckline, lack of sleeves, and lack of...looseness certainly made it apparent what this dress was intended to do in the muggle world...and to him.

"...The trick, how did you copy my Patronus?" she grinned.

Severus took a moment to realize what she had said, his eyes still lingering on the dress.

The sudden gravity of his actions weighed down on him as he realized he had in effect, given her evidence of his own undying love.

"...Hehe...No...That wasn't your Patronus." he smiled. "That was mine...a...Its...a female Caribou..."

_...A...female...Caribou...?_

_IDIOT!_

"Oh, right. I really couldn't tell the difference Sev." she chuckled. "...so this is your room?"

He nodded.

"May I offer you some elf wine?"

"Please..." she smiled before looking around.

"Please, sit down." he offered as he tapped the bottle with his wand as it started pouring itself.

"You didn't do any specific tidying just for me, did you?" Lily teased, her green eyes glistening in the candlelight.

"...No. No...my chambers always look this... fancy (!)." he smirked and picked up the glass, handing it to Lily before taking his own and stood near the fire, admiring the attractive woman on his couch.

She took a sip and smiled before looking at him.

"...Well, are you going to stand there all evening?" she smirked.

"No...I..." he began softly. "...I..."

She patted the pillow beside her that emitted a large cloud of dust. He hastily sat down to hide it.

"...Friendship..." she smiled, holding up her glass.

"Friendship." he concluded before clinking the glasses together and taking a rather large gulp of wine.

"...So, how many years, is too many?" she smiled. "Teaching?"

"...I started teaching when I was...twenty one." he replied, running his thumb delicately around the rim of his wine glass. "Potions...It's not an easy job...In fact sometimes you do feel like drowning your students in their cauldrons...But it pays well, and provides a home..."

Lily nodded.

"I still can't believe you are a Professor." she smiled sipping from her glass. "Does that mean you take away house points and stuff?"

Snape nodded and smiled, looking into the red wine in his glass.

"Yes..."

"Wait...You're a Slytherin, you don't do it to poor Gryffindor do you?" she laughed.

"...Not exactly." Snape said, avoiding the 'G' word.

"You'd better not!" she smiled playfully.

Snape's black eyes twinkled like blank ink as they followed the curves of the dress, how it embraced her thighs, her backside, her waist...her...

"...You look very...nice." Snape floundered as his eyes moved swiftly up.

"Thanks, I bought this ages ago..."

The conversation stalled, both took a sip of wine.

"...So, what potions did you make today?" she asked.

Snape gave her a raise of the eyebrow as if to query this line of questioning.

"...Shop talk..." Lily laughed bashfully and smiled. "...You look good too."

Snape nodded in appreciation and looked at her.

"...and your hair looks very...'pretty'." the word felt strange on his lips.

Lily looked relieved.

"Good! I never usually have it like this..." she said stroking it "I've been putting Sleekeazy's

on it...Tried to make it less fuzzy. Working in potion steam all day...makes its bushy."

"You should be used to it by now, with all that cooking you did." he smirked.

"Oh..." smiled Lily. "Yeah..."

"...But yeah, the sleekeazy works...Try it?"

"...What on my hair?" he asked smirking.

"No...stroke it..." smiled Lily.

There it was again, that seductive smile.

The smile that made his stomach feel like a swarm of Doxies were flying around inside it.

"Stroke it?" asked Severus, looking at the loosely curled red hair that seemed to emanate a beautiful glow...that probably came from behind her with the candlelight. "No...I'll just mess it up..."

"I insist."

Her eyes pierced him like a painless needle.

Reaching forwards, he tried to steady his shaking hand by distracting her with a sardonic smile but when his fingers made contact with her hair, her fingers fastened around his wrist.

"..L-Lily?"

"...Severus...Today I made Amortentia..."

Snape swallowed nervously.

"Tricky little sod isn't it..."

Why was his voice higher than usual?

"...Do you know what I smelt...Severus?" she asked, her eyes driving into his black eyes, like drills looking for diamonds amongst coal...

"...Steam?" he offered.

"...You."

Snape swallowed, his heart quickened against his ribs, he blinked a few times to clear his mind.

"...M-me...?"

She nodded.

Merlin's beard, those eyes were impossible to dismiss.

"...I...Li...Lily...I...What...what..." he cleared his throat. His wrist still captive in her cool fingers.

"...Sev...?"

"...Wine!" he declared suddenly, standing so she had to release his wrist. "You...you're out of wine...let me...let me refill your glass!"

Lily looked confused but offered her glass anyway.

Severus' hands were shaking as he poured the glass by hand.

"...Severus...Why are you avoiding me?"

"...Avoiding you? I'm not avoiding you. I'm pouring you a drink..." he replied, his back to her.

"...Everyone knows you've had a crush on me for years Sev..."

The wine bottle slipped from his hand as an unpleasant wave of nervous nausea struck him like a wave of icy cold water slipping into his stomach. He could feel her gaze burning into his back.

"...Like Professor Dumbledore said, after you left his party: 'You don't need to be a Legilimens to know that Severus is very very fond of you still, Lily...'"

Snape could hear the voice of the headmaster in hers as clearly as if he were stood in the room with them.

"...Sev...I'm very very fond of you too..."

Severus wheeled on her, looking at her accusingly. Her eyes were full of rascality and her the smile perched on those luscious lips was damnation incarnate.

For the first time since he had met her the urge to use Legilimens on her mind was stronger than ever before.

He desired to consume her thoughts as if it were ambrosia, to gain knowledge of why she was doing this... But knew that it was strictly against policy to use Legilimens without a reasonable excuse.

"...How fond...?" Snape replied with a deadly quietness.

"...Come here so I can show you..."

Snape felt his right foot betray him as it staggered towards the welcoming voice that beckoned him.

She took his hands and pulled him to sit on the couch.

His heart was beating so fast it drummed relentlessly like a hum in his ears.

His hands were clammy and wet with sweat, surely she could feel it in her own hands...that were so warm..

Was she moving towards him?

Snape flicked his eyes around the room in desperate need for some form of distraction, something interesting to point out, anything to avoid this moment. But his heart seemed to be pulling from his chest and trying to join hers.

He felt her fingers adjust his chin softly, her fingertips burning him with tingling pleasure as she forced him to look into her eyes.

"...Sev...?"

He looked into her eyes. Those...intoxicating eyes.

"...Don't be afraid...I'm a big girl...and I know what I want..."

And with that, she pressed those perfect, rose petal lips to his unworthy ones.

He closed his eyes, and felt his hands seize her, as if this kiss was the permission he had dreamt of since seeing her again.

His hands closed around her perfect waist, his own lips pressing into hers, melting into hers, begging to steal the warmth from her kiss to resurrect his hopelessly dormant body.

And she did not pull away, instead, she placed her arms around his neck, as if welcoming him back from a long visit, a long time away...As if in from the coldness of a dark winters night...

It was as if no time had passed at all since the day she had denied him their friendship, as if...as if e was suddenly forgiven...absolutely...everything.

Feeling her pull away, he pulled back himself and stared into her eyes.

Longing for no reprisals.

Just this once, let it be what it is, and no more...

She smiled at him, a beautiful, slightly dazed smile.

"...Wow..."

Snape found himself unable to contain his own smile and laughed lightly.

"...Well, uhm..." he cleared his throat. "...Well..."

Lily smiled.

"Now that...was worth the wait..."

"It most certainly was..." he quietly murmured before seizing her face in his hands and kissing her once more.

The rest of the evening passed in soft giggles, warm smiles, and the occasional stolen kiss between warm reminiscing of past, lazy memories. And the unspoken grievance from both parties, that this had not happened sooner...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Lily left at 11pm that night. Escorted to the gates, and to her flat by Snape who wanted to make sure that she would be safe. Lily laughed and expressed this was not necessary, that she was a big girl and could handle herself fine.

This made Snape lean over and kiss her again, hidden by the shadow of an overhanging tree from prying eyes.

Her kisses were sweeter than anything he had ever tasted and addictive, after each one, he desired another...and another...

And she was happy to permit them.

Walking her to the back gate of Tukes' he looked around the deserted street to see if anyone was watching and planted another, firm, succulent kiss on her lips before drawing back and smiling,

Lily looked radiant.

"...Lily...I understand that...if you want to keep this a secret...?" he began.

"'This'?" she teased, smiling. "And what is 'This'?"

"...Well, I doubt we spent the entire evening kissing only to remain 'Just good friends...'"

Lily smiled widely.

"I was hoping you'd say that..."

"...So are we...?" he confirmed, looking unsure.

"We're dating Sev..." she giggled.

"...That makes me your..."

"Boyfriend...Well, man friend..."

"Man friend..." he replied, letting the phrase hang in the cool September air. "I've never been anyone's man friend before..."

"...Nobodies?" she exclaimed.

"Lily...Its only ever been you." he soothed gently.

Lily's eyes softened.

"Oh Sev..." she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "...Really?"

His hands closed around her waist, fastening just above her backside.

"...Always."

She kissed his lips impulsively and pushed him inadvertently down the dark alleyway where he had secreted himself yesterday.

He opened his eyes in alarm and noted the dark setting she had dragged him into...

Oh the things he would do, if only had the courage...and she was willing.

He gently pulled away.

"...I'm only a man Lily...You're going to kill me..." he half chuckled.

Even in this dim light he could see she was blushing and smiling.

"I get you Sev..."

"...Although..." he began, cupping her cheek with his hand tenderly, admiring her in the vague light. "...I doubt I am the first for you..."

Her smile faded slightly.

"...If I had known...Sev. That you felt that way...I would have-"

He placed a finger to her lips and smiled comfortingly.

"...It doesn't matter." he promised. "...We're together now."

Lily looked at him helplessly.

"...It doesn't?"

"No..." he smiled, stroking her cheek.

And how could it? He had been granted a second chance at a life with the woman he had secretly worshipped and loved since he was 9 years old.

He would give anything for her...

Do anything for her...

He loved her...

And he knew, that he would have to keep that secret for now...after all, no need to rush this...

This beautiful moment.

Her arms were back around him again and he wrapped his around hers, stroking her beautiful mane of red hair...

"...Did you have a pleasant evening?" he asked.

"Yeah." she smiled. "...Did you?"

"Oh no. I hated every second (!)."

She chuckled and mock hit his chest before turning to the gate.

"I have to go. I have work in the morning..." she said mournfully.

Snape nodded.

"As have I..."

"I'll send you an owl..."

"I'll wait for it every moment..."

She leaned up to kiss him again and then opened the gate before waving to him playfully and ascending the metal staircase.

Snape sighed and walked away towards the school, his wand held out as he cast Lumos to guide his way. The moon was only just waxing and barely cast enough light to see.

This evening had been so wonderful he was barely ready to believe that all of this wonderfulness was happening to HIM.

Lily Evans, the most kindest, gentlest, and intelligent witch in their year had always been something like the philosophers stone. Unattainable, unconquerable, and certainly way out of his level of expectation.

Yet she had chosen to be his friend...

And now his lover...

...If she wanted to go that far...

He had never had a girlfriend, or a love interest outside of Lily Evans. When she had shunned his friendship, he had decided to keep his love a secret and his heart a captive in side a self imposed prison of denial. Not letting it feel adoration for anyone else.

How often the story of the 'Warlock with the hairy heart' made him laugh with derision as the embittered potion master in the sweeping black robes kept his own heart a prisoner. He often wondered what it looked like under his ribs...

Hairy? Tar coloured? Perhaps not there at all...

Perhaps she had stolen it when they were young and refused to return it...except...now she was back to place it firmly, and lovingly back in its place.

Caressing it into life with her tender touch, and warm kiss.

Feeling it jerk for her was like feeling the first breath of life...

And now a fool for her again...

And her beautiful red hair, green eyes...and loving arms.

Walking towards the gates he saw a flash of movement near them

"Reveal yourself!" Snape snarled, his wand held accusingly to the place where it had occurred.

A thin, pale, scarred man in ragged robes came forward, his hands in his pockets, walking in an annoyingly casual manner.

"Lupin..." he sneered, lowering his wand. "...Out for a stroll...In the moonlight?"

"Very clever Severus. Very smart." Lupin smiled benignly. "Yes, I was patrolling the grounds. The Headmaster believes a Troll may have come up from somewhere and I was just performing a check."

"Hmmm-Mmm."

"What are you doing out at his hour, Severus?" asked Lupin.

"...None of your business." Snape snapped and strolled forwards.

"Why so protective?" Lupin asked turning to face him, the slither of light from Hagrid's cabin nearby throwing his scarred face and crooked smirk into a warm glow.

Snape ignored him and continued to walk.

"It has been a long time since we were children, Severus."

Snape rotated towards him and fixed him with a barely human stare.

"Not long enough. As far as I am concerned, aside of working with you and providing that liquid relief from your 'illness' once a month, we have nothing else in common and therefore nothing to discuss. Thank you and Goodnight."

"...You will insist on living in the past...James often speaks of you."

Snape stopped in his tracks, his wand clutched firmly in his hand, this time he did not need to turn and face Lupin, because he knew he had his rapt attention.

"...James Potter...?" he asked, a weak smile on his face. "...Perhaps you should inform him that we often speak of him too."

"...Who's we?" asked Lupin.

"...Lily and I..." he said, quite happily, turning towards Lupin with a sadistic smirk on his pale face.

Lupin's mouth dropped open in shock, and for a moment he looked quite pale.

"...Lily and You speak?"

"Yes, oh but of course, you weren't there at the Headmaster's party. Yes, I dare say you were catching up on all those lessons I covered. After all, why shouldn't we speak? We are childhood friends after all, and from dormant seeds beautiful flowers grow..."

Lupin moved his wand arm slightly and walked towards Snape.

"...Lily and You...?"

"Yes. Lily and I." Confirmed Snape darkly. "...Lily Evans...and 'Snivellus' Snape...Write that in a howler for Potter for me, will you? Good boy!"

And with that he turned and walked at a fast pace towards the castle. Leaving Lupin dumbstruck in the grounds.

Lily turned towards her bed and smiled, casting herself down on to it, feeling as though everything the world was warm and beautiful.

Well, most of it was...Just Severus seemed to make it so.

His inexperience was evident at first as he pressed his lips into hers, she felt him freeze in shock as she introduced her tongue along his lip line to gain entrance inside. But he soon caught up and the pair were soon engaged in a passionate kiss that led to him following her lead.

As she ran her hands through his hair he copied, gripping it in his fist as he held her close.

Her hands straying over his back, under his coat, to his waistcoat where she felt his skin, so close under the white, highly starched shirt, yet unreachable.

He reciprocated, his warm shaking hands running over the curves of her dress. Straying everywhere, between the bottom of her ribs and the top of her pelvis...

He was a tender, gentle lover, shaky and nervous, yet as he learned fast (just as fast he had always learned), he became suave, soft and fluid in his movements, a kiss, leading to caressing her hair, her shoulders, lining her neck with kisses as he whispered adorations and passionate worship that was tumbling out of an internal closet that had been locked for so many years...

She was nearly drunk on it by the time the clock on the wall gave a dreary charm of eleven and she regretfully grieved she had to leave for work.

Every inch the gentleman he had walked her home...and she was now alone, in a rapidly becoming cold room...Without his warm, safe embrace.

An embrace she had shunned, and yet was welcomed back into...and with such thankfulness.

Just then a Patronus shot through her door, straight into the centre of the room.

It was of a grizzly Irish Wolfhound and it spoke as it looked.

"Comin' over for a chat, be ready Evans."

Lily stood up, pulled on a green cardigan just as the flames in her fireplace turned green and a rough looking old man came out of the flames, shaking off dust.

He walked with a limp, had a long overcoat on and had a blue eye that spun madly in a magical eye patch.

"Evans." he growled.

"...Alastor." she smiled. "What brings YOU here at this iniquitous hour?"

"Save yer educated twaddle for someone who cares." he muttered and took a sip from a hip flask. "...I've been talkin' to Shacklebolt."

"Oh have you(!)." Lily sighed folding her arms.

"Aye." he nodded and looked to her. "And I think YOU know why..."

"Could it have anything to do with leaving the Auror office?" she sighed.

"It might do, girl." he nodded sitting down. "After all, its not every day a prestigious witch such as yourself, leaves without so much as a reason."

"I was sick of it Mad-Eye." she sighed. "Sick of never being able to stay in once place, sick of always being undercover. Saving lives and never getting credit? Do you know what they used to say about me down at the leaky cauldron?"

"Go on..."

"They said: 'Mudbloods never do well.' Well I was a bloody AUROR!"

"Quiet lass! D'you know there are death-eaters around?" flinched Mad-Eye, looking over his shoulder with his magical eye as it spun in his head. "Or...is it the death eaters that spooked you...?"

"I'm not afraid of that man." Lily said, staring into his eye. "...and that is all he is Mad-Eye...A man."

"He is the most powerful dark lord of our time, Evans." growled Mad-Eye. "...and I'm glad you're not scared of him. After all, I didn't come here in the pissing cold, AFTER my retirement from the Auror office, to give you a lecture on employment etiquette!"

Lily permitted herself a smile.

"...What is it...?"

Mad-Eye shifted uncomfortably.

"...It's been noted Evans, you've been getting cosy with Severus Snape."

"Christ on a bike, Alastor. Is nothing flipping sacred?" she exclaimed getting up.

"He's being targeted!"

"...Targeted?" Lily asked.

"...Several suspected Death Eaters have been seen in contact with him."

"...Death Eaters?" she repeated.

"Are you bloody deaf, Evans?" Mad-Eye Snapped. "...Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and a few others...Shacklebolt wants YOU to use your initiative and get as close as you can to Snape and find out what his intentions are!"

"...Severus wouldn't go to The Dark Lord." Lily muttered.

"...Even if he wouldn't, that boy hung around with notorious Death Eater's who are now in Azkaban for their crimes!" he snapped. "...It would be a shame to lose someone as trusted as he is to Dumbledore and to you to the dark lord now wouldn't it?"

Lily closed her eyes and sighed.

"...You would be keepin' him safe...Lily." Mad-Eye confirmed. Near reading her mind.

"...And what do I do? Spy on him? What if they find out I'm working for you? What if I die?"

"...Nobody knew you were an Auror before. And for all anyone else knows, you've been working for the prophet for the last God Knows how long..."

"Sev, is a Legilimens." Lily near whispered. "...If he knew...he would stop me..."

"...You are the most accomplished Occlumens I know." Mad-Eye. "...in your Auror exams you not only read the minds of your 'subject' but also resisted attempts at Occulmency from me, Shacklebolt and even the late Frank Longbottom!"

Lily blushed at the compliment.

"...Why me? What if Severus finds out?"

"...You will have to be strong, and make sure he never does, Lily...Do I have your word?...For Severus?"

Lily looked at Mad-Eye.

"For him, I would do anything."

"Excellent. I'll tell Shacklebolt tonight...He will want updates at least once a week. Use any means necessary."

With that, the retired Auror had stomped back into the fire and left.

Leaving her with not only a mission, but a curse, and a sacred charge.

Protect Severus Snape.

Keep him from the Dark Lord.

And keep him out of the loop.

She was no Agony witch, but she knew that a lie was a bad way to start a relationship...even if it was to save the life of the man you adored.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"...So, you and Lily Evans are...like, seeing each other, now then?" Lupin asked as he pushed some bacon around his plate, the next morning at breakfast.

"Yes Lupin. Not that is any of your business, so keep your snout out." Snape replied evenly reading the daily Prophet.

"...Just wondered what caused her to suddenly act in this manner. I mean, when we were at school, she told me she hated your guts and wanted you to drop dead of doxy bites..."

"Times change, people change...You above all should know that..."

"Yes. But when did this change?" Remus asked, pushing his plate away, leaving most of his food untouched.

"...I don't know. I don't care. All I know is that I am dating Lily Evans, she is happy in my company, I am ecstatic in hers and we appear to be fine with that." Snape concluded folding his paper. "...Problem?"

Lupin seemed to shake with frustration.

"What is it to you, Lupin?" smirked Snape.

"...Nothing." he got up and walked swiftly towards the door.

Snape smiled and carried on reading his paper.

The rest of the day followed with Snape exchanging owls with Lily like a lovesick teenager. And for it he felt more tolerant of those students who themselves were enjoying love's warm embrace. Indeed, he had actually only taken 10 points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw when he caught Mr. Thomas and Miss. French kissing behind the tapestry of Herpo the Foul.

The spring in his step had not gone unnoticed as students were heard hissing and whispering as he passed with the stack of books under his arm, his head held high and a distant smile trapped somewhere behind his face.

Even his final lesson with the 3rd years went uneventfully as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle remained near their cauldrons and only looked up sulkily once or twice. But Granger, Weasley and Longbottom seemed to be brooding over their cauldrons.

It was only when Weasley accidentally added Horn of Unicorn to his potion rather than Bicorn did Snape finally relent and go over there to satisfy his urge to remove points from Gryffindor and find out the problem.

"...Weasley, do you require glasses?"

"...No sir."

"Weasley, is the board too far away from you to read from?"

"No sir."

"...Weasley, have I somehow written in Japanese and everyone in the class has managed to translate it but you?"

"No sir."

"Then why have you mistaken Bicorn for Unicorn horn?"

Ron Weasley opened his mouth to reply but Snape did not allow him to.

"Could it be the fact they are both the same colour?...No. Because Bicorn horn is grey and Unicorn horn is silver. Perhaps it is the shape? No...Unicorn horn is straight and has a spiral effect where as Bircorn is curved and has a spiral effect...Perhaps it is because you are irretrievably stupid...?"

"...Professor..." began Granger nervously.

"Silence Granger or I will delight in doubling the points I already plan in taking from Gryffindor from Weasley's lack of judgement."

"Do you know what will happen if you add the Armadillo Bile to that concoction now Weasley? Your poorly maintained cauldron will melt, and the desk will diminish into sawdust in seconds."

He cast his wand at the cauldron and magicked the purple potion that was bubbling mutinously away.

"...0 Marks. And 5 points from Gryffindor for nearly violating the classroom."

"Sir, that's not fair!" snapped Longbottom.

Snape let his eyes rest on Longbottom. That round faced, ruddy cheeked boy who believed he knew everything just because he was the 'Blessed' chosen one.

"...Let me tell you about 'Fair', Longbottom." he began, quietly, but loud enough so that everyone could hear him.

"It is not fair that every morning I have to make my way down to these dungeons and from 9am til 4pm I have to teach students who could not be trusted to distinguish bircorn from unicorn horn.."

There was a ripple of laughter from the class as Ronald Weasley sunk lower in his chair.

"But never mind, we have only..." he checked the clock on the wall. "33 glorious minutes together before we can disperse and leave for our desired places of relaxation on this wonderful Thursday afternoon (!)," he muttered. "So perhaps we could get through this without any more incidents...or...outbursts."

He stalked back to his desk and sat down just as a tapping occurred at the door.

"...Enter." Snape called.

The tapping continued.

"...Come in."

The tapping persisted.

With an angry flick of the wand he sprang the door open to reveal a small, bobbing owl hooting excitedly, an envelope almost twice the size of him in his beak.

"...Oh. Come on then..." Snape sighed. "Who is it for?"

The owl flew fleetingly to his desk, dropped the envelope and hooted.

There was a murmur of intrigue from the students. Not that it was rare for a teacher to get an owl in a lesson, particularly Professor MacGonagal or even Professor Dumbledore—when he was tutoring. But for him, it was a rare occurrence. Any owl mail was.

He looked at the envelope and in Blue ink on the front was the word:

_'Severus'_

In a beautiful hand.

He went to open it and found that the envelope had been sealed by a kiss. A kiss in her lipstick.

He looked over to his class and saw them all gazing intently at him, awaiting the outcome of the letter.

"...Do you, or do you not have a lesson to be learning?"

At once the class returned to its normal state of business as she ripped open the envelope to read the reply:

"_Dearest Severus. _

_Please meet me outside The Three Broomsticks at 6:45 pm._

_Love Lily x"_

Snape smirked slightly and slid a fresh piece of parchment from the stack in his drawer and wrote a reply confirming he would be there and sealed the envelope by magic before handing it straight back to the owl.

The owl looked at him expectantly for the addressee.

"...Lily Evans." he whispered.

The owl hooted excitedly and flew away at high speed, bobbing on the air.

The rest of the lesson passed without interesting occurrence and soon the last lesson of the day was over.

As the last of his students left the class Snape flicked his wand at the cupboard nearest to him and magicked all of the potions they had created into it for marking tomorrow as they needed a night to settle.

"Ahem!"

Snape looked up to see Lupin stood there.

"...Lupin. What is it?" he sighed tiredly.

"I don't like you much Snape." he said idly.

"...Really, that shocks and appals me (!)" Snape sighed and continued to sort his desk, hiding the letter from Lily in his robes.

"...But there is something you should probably ask her." he continued, taking a few swaggering steps into the room.

"Go on..." Snape replied idly.

"Ask her who she lived with when she was younger. After she left Cokeworth."

"...A muggle girl called Caroline, you twerp." Sighed Snape. "...What is this?"

"Ha! Is that what she told you? She always was gifted with the truth, Lily..."

"What is that meant to mean?" Snape asked, looking at him quizically.

Lupin walked over and leaned idly on the desk

"...Not to piss in you cauldron Sev...But...me and Lily, we kinda got together after School."

Snape looked at Lupin as if he had just declared he was chief death eater.

"...What did you say?" Snape asked, his face contorted with confusion.

"...Look, choose not to believe me if you want Sev...But, for a few years we were a couple..." Lupin smiled lazily.

"Why the hell are you lying, Lupin? Is it your will to leave this classroom as a ghost?" Snape asked threateningly.

"Don't get pissy with me, Severus. Just letting you know."

Snape's hand gripped his wand tightly as thousands of voices screamed in his head, each one more angry than the last.

"...Get out...of my classroom."

Lupin smirked, his scars on his face oddly reddened.

"...As you wish..."

Severus stood there, shaking slightly. A hot warmth spreading from his chest to his hands, and then being replaced by an icy coldness moments later.

Anger...at being mocked...

Then the feeling of betrayal.

Bundling his things into his leather satchel he conducted a spell to remove them to his office and set off immediately towards Tukes'.

Why would Lily have lied to him?

Why would she have lied and said she had lived with a muggle called Caroline?

Why so damn specific a lie?

Why didn't she just gloss over it? Or Better yet, tell the truth!

It took forever to get to Tukes' and when he got there he stood, paused with his hand on the doorknob

.

She told him he wasn't the first, but she never mentioned Remus Lupin...

He walked in and walked up to the desk, barging past a wizard who had two impressive antlers on his head and another who appeared to have a Satsuma for a nose.

"Hey! There is a queue mate!" declared the Antlered wizard.

Snape turned to them and looked before giving him a look of disgust:

"Polyjuice potion is not for use of animal transformation and you can wait for your stupidity...LILY!"

Lily at once came from the back of the shop, her beautiful pale face and red lips, and wonderful green eyes clean and pure with the innocence free from what Severus knew.

"...Sev?" she smiled.

"Lupin." he pronounced darkly.

"...What about him?" she asked, the shadow of some sort of fear on her face.

"...Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, a shake of emotion in his voice.

Her head inclined as she looked at him with a cross between pity, and concern.

"...Does it matter?"

"...It does to me."

"...I finish here...in twenty minutes...Wait for me...and i'll tell you everything."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Lily sighed as she stared into her Butterbeer. The roots of her hair were aflame on that field of soft white skin.

Snape felt his eyes boring into her, desperate for an answer. His hands either side of an untouched pumpkin juice as hers circled her drink.

Since leaving Tukes' she had said nothing and simply linked arms with him and walked with her head against his arm to the Three Broomsticks. He had bought them drinks and sat down...and ever since she had been staring into her Butterbeer.

His patience was wearing thin as he was still rather angry at Lupin for what he had done, though, he could not pinpoint any fault with what he had done for as far as he was concerned, he had told the truth. But in such an unforgivable way.

Snape let his impatience get the better of him and spoke up.

"Lily."

She reached across the table, still not taking her eyes from her drink and curled her fingers around his.

Snape imagined the same fingers curled around Lupins, entangled in his brown hair in the throes of a passionate kiss...

He fought the impulse to pull away. After all...he was not angry at her...

"...It was when we left Hogwarts, Sev. Remus had been exceptionally kind to me. That night when we argued, after I went back in to the common room, Potter was acting like a prat and asked me out again. Remus told him to leave it because I was 'obviously' upset. He took me to a corridor and asked me what was wrong...So I told him. After that we just became close I guess over the next year or two."

"...And Potter was alright with this?" Snape replied in a clipped voice. "He just let his best friend go withj the girl he liked?"

"...No. He never found out 'til after we left school. We...were just like...really close friends, Remus and I...then one day we just...got together."

"You lived together Lily. Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me such a specific, CRUEL lie?"

Lily looked up, her eyes were full of tears.

"...I didn't want to hurt you."

"...Well, I..." Snape stopped what he was about to admit and swallowed hard. "...Hmpf."

Lily squeezed his hand.

"...We lived together for a few months. We...we were never engaged or anything. It was just...living together?"

"That's a big comfort (!)." sneered Snape.

"Sev. You were many things, but never cruel to me..." she bit angrily.

"...'Cruel to you'?" Snape retorted. "...I pour my heart out to you and you neglect to mention that you were...WITH Remus Lupin?"

"...I told you there had been others." she mumbled.

"Well, tell me Lily. How many of Potter's little 'crew' did you end up dating?" he asked, bitterness evident in his voice.

"...Severus." She replied sternly through her tears, her cheeks ablaze.

Snape looked down bitterly.

"Why did you split up?" he asked.

"...He and I wanted different things." She sighed.

"And you never got infected? Bitten? Attacked?"

"No...the Wolfsbane potion came through not long after we got together and he'd just move into the Creaky Cauldron for a few nights...We split up after about 6 months of living together...We're still friends..."

"Amicable was it?" asked Snape piercingly. "...Did you sleep with him?"

"...Sev..."

"Did. You. Sleep. With...Him."

"Yes."

Severus felt his heart become painful, as if it was made of glass, had been frozen by ice and had been tapped ever so gently so that it shattered...

He lowered his eyes and his face.

He knew she had been with others. A woman of her age, of her beauty and with such a warm personality had had to have been the object of many men's desires.

But they had been faceless men. Men who were no threat. Men who were no better looking, no richer, no more intelligent, athletic, powerful...men who were just faceless nobodies. That were nothing...

But now, an unpleasant, alien, and most unwelcome image was forced into his minds eye.

Remus...and Lily, kissing.

Remus...and Lily...locked in an intimate, naked embrace.

Remus...and...Lily, in the throes of passion...moaning, perspiration dotting their naked bodies...

Remus and Lily...lying in bed, spent from a night of blissful ecstasy.

A twinge of nausea pierced Snape's stomach.

"...I have to go." he choked out before sweeping from the table. His cloak sweeping the table, spilling his untouched drink.

"Sev, please!" she cried out. "Why does it matter?"

Snape felt the eyes of everyone in the bar burn into him.

"...I can't discuss this right now Lily...Please don't ask me to. I shall owl you when I have calmed down."

And with that he left the pub.

Pausing outside, the cool September wind was pleasant against his reddening cheeks. The anger in him was not quelling and he needed to work it off.

He was sat in front of Lily, and was doing precisely what he did not want to do. He was blaming her and punishing her for living her life without him. But why Lupin...

Why Lupin...?

In school Lupin had been more civil than Black and Potter, but he never exactly stopped things. He was always there, grinning with those scars and bruises he wore like a martyr...

"Severus Snape! You stop right there!"

Turning he saw Lily with her wand out, a fire in her cheeks.

"...Lily?" he began, wondering if she had been cursed.

"...Seriously! You stop right there!" She barked in an unfamiliar tone. Authoritative.

"...Are you going to hex me?"

Severus stared at Lily, her wand pointed towards him.

"...And what are you going to do if I walk away?" smirked Snape. "...Plant one between my shoulder blades."

"Don't try me." she said warning him. "...You listen to what I have to say right here, right now!"

Snape folded his arms, his large cloak sleeves billowing slightly in the breeze. Noticing a few Hogsmedians had stopped to watch this 'unusual' event.

"...Go on."

"...You told me that it didn't matter that other people had been involved with me. You said it didn't matter because we were together now! You said that..."

"...I did, But I..."

"Well, I'm not much of a seer Sev, but I can guarantee one thing about your future. Unless you accept that I had a life before this, I won't be able to be in it!"

Sev felt an unease of coldness, as if a Dementor was embracing him from behind sweep through his chest.

But somewhere in this cloud of frosty fog in his chest, he felt the embers of desire burning. Her strength had always appealed to him.

That fire that resided in her hair, spreading through her eyes like two green beacons...

"...Lupin." Snape managed to utter.

"Yes, Remus Lupin. Yes, the same Remus Lupin who is working at the school, who incidentally, I chose not to pop in and see in case YOU reacted like this! Now I'm going to lower my wand. And if you make one step in the direction of that school, I swear by Merlin's testicles, I will curse you!"

Snape couldn't help but smile, her cheeks were red and she look as if she was either ready to cry or curse him into an insect.

He took a few, breezy steps towards her, almost enchanted by her fervour.

"...Right. Now what?"

"Now you hold my hand and we go to the castle and SPEAK with Lupin. Alright? Because I want to know what the hell he was doing using OUR past relationship as ammo for upsetting you!"

"I don't need someone to tell him off. I just want him out of my way." Snape sighed.

"Tough. We're going to stop this now. I will not have him treating our time together like some petty school boy rubbish!"

Snape looked at her and realized how badly this had rankled her.

"...If that is what you want."

"It is!"

Lily seized his hand and began to march him towards the school.

Looking back at the people in Hogsmede, he knew now that whoever did not know about their relationship, now certainly did.

As bizarre as it felt to have Lily Evans charging towards Hogwarts, wearing her blue Tukes' tunic and holding the potion Master's hand as if she were a pushy parent taking her child to a school bully, he couldn't hide the smirk that had ignited when she saw how powerful her reaction was when she saw that Remus had hurt him, and threatened their relationship.

"What are you grinning at?" She asked.

"...Is it bad that I find you attractive when you are angry?"

To his shock, she smiled, her cheeks going a more pleasant shade of pink.

"...Shut up Sev..." she grinned.

After a while of heavy marching, her hand loosened to a more friendly grip, and their walking pace loosened to a calm walk.

"Where will he be?"

"...If I know him, in his office..." Snape replied.

Lily set off again, still holding his hand, and to his mild terror, he realized that Lily Evans, would be marching the Potions Master through Hogwarts, holding his hand and haranguing the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, with students watching.

He went to pull his hand away but she looked back at him.

"...What?"

He could not bring himself to say what he wanted to say. That the students would see and that he would rather not be seen with her in that context yet...

But he couldn't.

In the mood she was in, she would take it as rejection and he did not want that. He did not want to push Lily away again.

As anticipated students stared with their mouths agape as an attractive young woman dragged their potions teacher through the school with her hand wrapped firmly around his as he followed with an almost docile permissiveness. Malfoy's silver eyebrows met his hairline as he burst out laughing, nudging Goyle and Crabbe who smirked and guffawed too.

Trying to control the rising level of scarlet in his cheeks he noticed that without even needing to guide her, Lily found her way to the DADA tutors office with an almost spooky speed.

She rapped smartly on the door.

The gramophone noise was abruptly stifled and the door opened with a creak.

Lupin's face seemed to fade in its inane grin as soon as he saw Lily stood there with scarlet cheeks.

"...Lily!" he began, regaining his smile abruptly.

"...Don't you Lily me, Remus Lupin! What the hell are you playing at? Why did you have to tell him? Why did he need to know!" Lily began, bombarding Lupin, advancing on him as he leaned on the doorpost.

If it wasn't such a solemn subject, Snape would have been smirking by now.

"Lily, calm down, the students!" Lupin began.

"ARE OUTSIDE." She snapped. "I bet you couldn't wait! Could you? As soon as you know that Severus and I were dating I bet you couldn't wait to use our relationship as a weapon!"

"Lily! Calm down! I only told him!...You obviously didn't so I thought I ought to!"

"...I am here you know." muttered Snape darkly.

Remus and Lily both looked back at him briefly.

"Remus, it was the WAY you told him! You were cruel! Deliberately cruel to him! You said it like it was some kind of way to get at him!"

Snape looked to Lily and quickly remembered that he had specifically not given her any details on the incident. How had she known the...?

He held his silence until Lily had rebuked, belittled and generally insulted Lupin, which continued until sunset and until Lupin had sighed and sat down, listening to his ex abuse him verbally.

She turned to him, red in the face and redder in the lips before sighing.

"...Come on Sev. Can we go to your office? I need a drink."

Out the corner of his eye, he saw the tired looking Lupin go to offer a glass on his desk but decided against it in case it brought on another tirade.

"Of course..." He took Lily's hand again and led her through the castle, again risking the prying eyes of the students who by now were more intrigued as the gossip had spread but again, Lily looked oblivious. She seemed tired and exhausted from her rant and probably needed a pick-me-up.

"I'll get you some fire whiskey, Professor Sprout sent some to me for Christmas...i never touched it...I..."

He noticed that up ahead Draco Malfoy was pushing Neville Longbottom to the wall and pulling out his wand.

Snape whipped his own wand from his sleeve and cast a quick 'Impedimenta' at him.

Malfoy flew back and hit the stone wall, turning to glare at Snape

"Malfoy, stand over there!" he ordered before rushing to Longbottom. "Are you alright?"

"...Fine." Longbottom replied, nursing a bruise on his left eye.

"...Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" Snape snapped.

Malfoy stood up, the effects of the Impedimenta wearing off.

"...Longbottom accused my father of being a death eater...Sir." Malfoy smirked.

Behind him, Snape heard Lily take a sharp intake of breath.

"...Longbottom, on your way. Malfoy, come with me...Miss. Evans..." he began oddly formal to Lily. "...Please can you wait in the entrance hall for me?"

She nodded, her eyes frozen on the silver haired Malfoy before moving along. Malfoy's eyes seemed fixed on her.

Seizing Malfoy by his collar, he began to walk him to his office but Malfoy pulled out of his grip and turned to him.

"Who is your little ginger friend?" he snapped.

"...That is none of your business Malfoy. You are in serious trouble, do not make it worse on yourself.." Snape replied darkly.

"...Wait until my father hears about this!"

"Don't worry Malfoy, I shall be sending him a full commentary of this." Snape replied breezily.

"He's too busy to read it. The dark lord keeps him busy."

Snape looked darkly at him, turning him physically towards him, he leaned down and stared into Malfoy's grey eyes.

"...The Dark Lord is gone." he snapped.

Malfoy's thin lips curved into a smirk.

"...That's what YOU think..."

"...Judging by your constant behavioural problems, Malfoy. You will be spending more time IN detention than in lessons. Perhaps it is your desire to be a petty sneak thief after you leave school?"

"No. A death eater."

All of this talk of death eaters was making Snape genuinely concerned. The sweat on his brow was beginning to leak out as nausea, for the second time today, made itself apparent.

"...One more mention of death eaters, or the dark lord, and I can promise you, that you will be removed from the Slytherin Quidditch team..."

"You think Quidditch bothers me?" Sneered Malfoy. "Don't you get it Snape? The Dark Lord is becoming stronger. And he will return. And when he does, you'll be for it...So get used to being nice to me...okay?"

Snape resisted the urge to slap that stupid smile off his face as fear and panic set in.

"...Get out of my sight, you disgusting little runt."

Malfoy knew what he had done and took the opportunity to walk away.

Snape felt the icy river of fear coarse through him as he held onto to a nearby stone torch for support.

If the dark lord was returning, and Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy was a death eater. Things could become very severe for him...

The death eaters would recruit him...They would call for him and he would have to run. He could not remain in the school and place it at threat...

He couldn't...

Sliding down the stone wall he found himself in a dark corner where the torches light did not extend, almost curled up...in panic.

Like a child...

Like a frightened child.

Just then a blinding light became apparent and he found himself shielding his eyes from the glow of a Patronus.

Not a phoenix...A doe.

Lily's doe...

Soon after, Lily was running after it, her beautiful red mane of hair rippling after her.

"Sev!"

"...Lily..." he began weakly.

"...Come on, get up. Did he hurt you?"

"...No...No...I...I just felt a bit...faint."

"Have you eaten today?"

"Yes...this morning..."

"Come on...let's get you to your office..."

Her usually gentle hands were strong as they helped her up, and her hair smelled like the wind, and flowers...

For a moment, he was intoxicated by it...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"So do you wanna tell me what that was all about?" Lily asked, putting a warm cup of tea into his cold shaking hands.

"…Not really." Snape answered truthfully, guiding the cup to his trembling lips and taking a sip of the hot liquid. She had had the forethought to enchant the cup to be cooler than its contents.

How typical of Lily to have the kind presence of mind even in midst of chaos and panic…

"Well, you're going to have to tell me some time." she decided, sitting opposite him on a faded, cracked, green leather pouffe.

Looking away, Snape knew that her logic was correct, even though it seemed an off-the-cuff remark.

How could he burden her with the dark secret that he may soon be called to the Dark Lord, whether he wanted to or not?

A prisoner…a hostage…a slave…

That he was soon to be, if the Dark Lord was indeed returning, a great asset to their ranks, regardless of his allegiance. Tied up, tortured and made to make use of not only his

knowledge of the dark arts, but also his potion making abilities.

Lucius had hinted at it…even laughed about it before…in the first war…That he would come to his house and take him by force to the Dark Lord…

But now that the game had turned sour, the Dark Lord had been killed by a rebounding curse that had no way of being blocked…and by a child that was a year old…

Perhaps he was a commodity now. Now more than ever…

What would he do if one day, they were walking together, in Hogsmede, or in Diagon Alley…or even here, together, those hooded monsters burst in and took him from her…leaving her vulnerable.

A victim…to their infamous brutal attacks…

Crucio'd to insanity…

Didn't she deserve the option to be prepared?

Didn't he owe her the option to get out now, while she was still safe?

He looked into those beautiful, green, understanding eyes and implored them to lose their curiosity.

But they didn't. In fact, they promised him understanding, strength, and most desperately needed of all, acceptance.

Taking her warm hand in his, then placing his cup down so he could cup his other hand around it he looked deeply into her eyes.

"…Lily, I fear I am a marked man…" he swallowed nervously.

"…Marked man?" she repeated, looking inquisitive.

Taking a deep breath, he relayed to her everything he had been keeping in for the past couple of years.

The suggestion that Longbottom made to Dumbledore that Voldemort had found a way to return from the dead and in doing so shared a parasitic body with the former dark arts professor.

Again, that he had returned in the form of a diary as a memory the year before…again, to the child he failed to kill 13 years previous.

And now that his death eaters were waiting eagerly for his return.

And in so doing were growing restless, anticipant, and were making preparation for their

master's arrival…

That his former school friend who had tried to recruit him during the first war for the death eaters was once again offering the dark hand of friendship that was tinged with threat and now his son was involved too. His 13 year old son…

Without prompting, she said:

"Malfoy…"

Looking at her, she seemed distant and cool, perhaps he had said too much.

Perhaps he had overburdened her with problems that were not her own and she was growing weary of him already.

Snape looked down and waited for her to pull her hands away in disgust. Like he was some kind of leper, or a spattergroit victim.

"…If you want to leave…I understand…" he nodded. "…After all, to be the…lover of a…well, someone who will soon be 'called upon'-and by 'called upon' I mean, snatched in the dead of night isn't exactly what every young lady wan-"

Lily pressed her lips to his, silencing him at once. Pinning him to his seat as she launched herself at him.

It took a few moments to realize what was happening before he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, pressing his own lips to hers so hard it was almost painful.

She responded and practically climbed on top of him.

Alarmed, Snape broke the kiss temporarily to ask breathlessly:

"…I take it, you…you aren't going to…run away…?"

"…Severus, I couldn't let you face this alone…We'll find a way…I promise."

Two words.

'I Promise'

Had somehow mollified him enough to enjoy the fact that Lily Evans was kissing him passionately…On his lap.

A smile broke out onto his face, relief mixed with some sort of vague panic that she was now involved in this too.

"…Lily…You could be in serious danger…" he warned, his fingers tracing her face.

Lily smirked, her now tousled red hair over her eyes.

"….I can handle myself pretty well…thanks."

Snape smiled again, she had not lost that rebellious streak she had so often displayed in school.

"…Now, as for Malfoy…" she began. "Next time he insinuates anything, just completely blank him as if he's talking rubbish. Make him believe that all this Dark Lord business is just poppycock."

"…You…You believe The Dark Lord is due to return?"

It was Lily's turn to look uneasy.

"…I…" she nodded. "…I trust in Dumbledore. If he says he's coming back…I believe him…"

Snape felt relief wash over him.

No longer alone in what felt like an irrational fear of a long dead wizard. Lily, a sane, rational, normal person believed Dumbledore…and him.

"Perhaps I should shrink you down and carry you around in my pocket so you can give me the strength to not be afraid…"

"If you shrunk me down…then I wouldn't be able to do this…"

She leaned in and kissed him again.

Smiling into the kiss, he threaded his hands into her long, beautiful red hair. Enjoying the soft coolness of her lips on his, the intimacy of the moistness that lined them. The smell of her perfume, or her body so close to his…so very close.

She stopped, her eyes opening as she pulled away, aware just as he was, of a development in their situation.

Feeling a scarlet tinge in his cheeks, he looked away only to hear her chuckle. Not derisively, but, flirtatiously.

"…My, My…is that a test tube in your robes or are you just happy to see me?"

Snape inclined his head, narrowing his eyes playfully, shaking his head.

"…Such witty remarks Miss. Evans…where do you find them from? (!)"

Lily smiled as she leaned in, pressing slightly against the bulge in his trousers.

"…Engorgio."

Snape swallowed awkwardly, a sweat prickling on his brow. It was funny, now it was just plain uncomfortable.

"…Lily, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be…it's a compliment…" she smiled, stroking his hair gently, threading it through her fingers slowly. "…Don't be embarrassed."

"…I…I'm not sure I'm…ready…"

"It's fine Sev…There's no rush…we have plenty of time together…" she said, stroking his cheek then kissing him again. "…Lets just…talk?"

"…Talk?" he asked, his eyebrow raised. "…Lily, I may not be ready. But I'm not dead from the waist down…"

And with that he pressed his lips against hers passionately.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"...Lucius Malfoy and his son are basically trying to get Severus to join the Death-eaters..." Lily recounted as two towering figures stood over her.

The first; Tall, black and balding in purple robes. The Second; slightly wizened, grizzled, scarred and dressed in war-damaged clothing. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor 'Mad-Eye Moody'.

"...And when did he tell you this?" Kingsley asked, his arms folded, his voice, deep and even.

"Just now. Well, a few hours ago." Lily replied, standing up folding her own over-large cardigan around her as if the room had suddenly become chilly.

"Lily, as you know Kingsley, is seeing Severus romantically, which is rather apt considering her mission don't ya think?" he smirked, half laughing.

Lily gave him a half sarcastic look then looked to Kingsley who was mildly amused and smiled.

"...Really? You and Severus Snape?"

Lily was half insulted, half amused that Kingsley found it so difficult to believe.

"Problem, Kingsley?" she asked. "...Severus and I were friends as children. In fact, it was he who told me I was a witch...We have recently grown close again..."

"Because of this mission?" Kingsley asked, sounding impressed.

"No, but if Severus ever finds out, he'll think it was."

Kingsley looked to Mad-Eye who shrugged passively.

"...Did he mention anything of any proposed meetings that Lucius had invited him to? Or perhaps even markin' the boy?" Mad-Eye asked.

Lily strained her memory, but it was difficult amongst the activities of that night.

For each time she tried to recall a fact, an expression, something he had shared with worried, dark eyes, she was shown something much more pleasurable.

Feeling his black hair against her chin as he planted rows of moist kisses along her neck...Warm, tender, delicious kisses that made her hungry for more and made her stomach jerk.

Kisses that made her rest her hair back to give him more access to her skin, she wanted the kisses to be softer...sweeter...and to go further...

Despite his inexperience, it seemed he had been meditating on this one perfect task.

Occasionally, she could steal his lips back, to place soft, sucking kisses on his lips, that were attentive, firm and warm. His hand in her hair, locking, gripping at it as if it were a rope he was hanging onto life with.

"Evans?" snapped Mad-Eye.

"...No...He never mentioned a dark mark...Nor nothing about meetings. Though he says he knows where Malfoy lives." she mumbled.

"...We know about Malfoy. We have him, Yaxley and McNair pinned like butterflies in a scrap book right now." growled Mad-Eye.

"Has Snape been marked?" Kingsley asked.

Lily had never seen Severus outside of his uniform, even her hands trying to undo the buttons on his frock-coat were stopped by obvious hesitation on his part.

"...Not that I know to. He was very much shaken by what young Malfoy had done." Lily admitted, sitting on her hands awkwardly.

"...Done?" asked Kingsley.

"Well, we were in the corridor of the school when we came across young Malfoy was about to hex Neville Longbottom." Lily replied.

There was an uneasy silence in the room.

"...why was he attempting that?" Asked Mad-Eye.

"Something about saying Lucius was a death eater." Lily recalled nervously.

"...So, Draco is more than likely spreading it around?" Mad-Eye surmised.

"...Kids are like that. They think its big and clever to be all impressive, it was the same at school. Someone in our year said his mother was part basilisk..." Kingsley chuckled, his deep voice rumbling softly.

"Hardly the same thing..." Mad-Eye snarled.

"So if Draco is speaking openly of it, either his father can't know, or his father is so sure about the dark lord's reappearance that he is no longer bothering to be stealthy." Kingsley sighed.

"...Could the dark lord have returned?" Lily asked, trying to hide her own naivety from them.

"..Albus Dumbledore seems to think it is possible. But has not spoken of it being imminent, I know most of the ministry think he is a duffer...But I trust the man implicitly." Mad-Eye replied, adjusting his seating on the stool.

"...So do I." nodded Kingsley.

"Me too, and so does Severus." Lily nodded.

"...Severus speaks with Dumbledore on this?" Mad-Eye asked, looking vaguely interested.

"Frequently...I think that perhaps Dumbledore is the only person Severus trusts..." Lily sighed.

"Outside of you?" asked Mad-Eye.

"...Yes. And I can't help but feel I am betraying that trust by discussing our private meetings with you." Lily half snapped.

"You are sure he does not suspect you?" Mad-Eye repeated.

"...I am certain. He did not even try Legilmency."

"...You must be a remarkable femme fatale." chuckled Kingsley.

Lily looked up at him and then looked away.

Her kisses, their embraces, her caresses, they were not tools of spying. They were tokens of well meant affection.

That night when Severus had inadvertently seized her by the waist, pulling her pelvis to his in a moment of fiery passion, helping her feel the firmness of his passions for her, she had felt helplessly desperate for a more intimate embrace...

A closer, perhaps...deeper...embrace.

It was no trick. It was deep, unexplainable feelings of desire, and tenderness for him.

Dare she even say what her heart was beating against her ribs.

"...I have strong feelings for Severus." she admitted, staring Kingsley in the eyes.

Kingsley looked over to Moody who was looking into the glittering green fire.

"...Perhaps we need to increase security on the castle..." he mumbled softly.

"...You think they will come for him?" Lily asked, feeling panic set in like a cold sweat.

"...Without a doubt. Severus is a double threat. Priceless to the death eaters, deadly to them if on the side of Dumbledore. Without him, I doubt they could even do the spells to make Voldemort lift his wand." Mad-Eye chuckled bitterly.

"...What can I do to protect him?" Lily asked.

"...Protect him? He has a wand y'know." Mad-Eye replied sardonically.

"I know that, but...I'm, well, I was an auror...Isn't it somewhere in that oath we took that we protect those who need protecting from dark wizards?" Lily asked.

"Indeed it is..." smirked Kingsley. "But how will Severus react if you curse a hedgehog because it crawls too close to him?"

"Shut up." Lily half smirked.

"...You need to keep your cover. Until we can be sure of ourselves, Snape must not know a thing. Do you understand?" Mad-Eye reminded.

"I understand. But I hate deceiving him." she sighed.

"It it deception if it could save their life?" Kingsley replied softly.

Lily looked into the darkness of the room that was only dimly lit by the green flames.

"...I don't know..." she said, shaking her head. "...And if he finds out. Somehow?"

"...Then contact us immediately." Kingsley replied.

"...And what will you do?" she asked rhetorically "Offer him some Honeydukes, and a 'there there...'?" Lily suggested sarcastically.

Kingsley looked at her darkly.

"...Keep an eye on him, and try and keep the information stream coming..." Mad-Eye ordered softly.

"We do go on dates you know? Its not exactly romantic for us to have a wonderful boathouse meeting and have me bring down the mood with talk of the dark lord..."

"...Be inventive." Kingsley suggested, looking at her.

"Oh yeah, 'Say, Sev...who is your favourite Death Eater? Was it Rodolphus or Bellatrix, I forget...' (!)"

"Don't be cheeky!" Mad-Eye warned.

"I expect a report within the next two days...Evans." Kingsley reminded darkly.

And with that the pair had stepped into the spinning green flames and were gone. The fireplace grew red, then orange and flickered as normal.

Lily went over to her bed and lay down, feeling a hollow mixture of guilt and regret for what she was doing, and wanting the tide of comfort and feeling of being loved Severus had bestowed on her that evening to wash it away.

Feeling the sensation of his kisses, his warm hands, soft as before, no trace of roughness on them. Clean and gentle. Tender and nurturing. She longed to feel them running down her arms, her bare arms, up the calves of her legs, to her thighs.

Further...

She imagined herself in bed with him.

She had had other lovers, but...for some reason, her hunger for him outweighed the lust she had felt for the others. She imagined them moving together, sweating, passionate, slow, teasingly slow movements...

Powerful strong movements that made them both groan with pleasure.

Getting faster...and faster...until they couldn't hold on any longer...and both met their climax together.

The thought sent her weak with desire as she looked out of her window towards the castle where she knew he would be...alone...in that bed...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Snape sat at his desk and scribbled away at the essay in front of him. Once again the 5th year students he had no choice but to teach had outdone themselves with errors that would make a troll blush.

Scribbling out a word that Snape was sure did not exist in any known languages with such ferocity that his quill scraped through the parchment he sighed and threw his quill into the ink well.

His concentration had been off all day, not with his teaching—he possessed even the most bare minimum of concentration to ensure his class did not blow the place up.

"Trouble?"

He looked up to see Remus stood in his doorway.

"...What do YOU want?" he asked idly.

"Seriously Severus. I am in no mood for any stressful badinage." Remus sighed.

Snape was half-interested as he sat up.

"Oh? What's wrong? Full moon isn't for a few days yet..."

"Have you not read the Daily Prophet?" Remus asked.

"Not this morning...I've been otherwise engaged."

Otherwise engaged was a subtle way of suffering through a series of cold showers to calm himself down. Shuddering and near screaming as the cold water did very little to control the fire of passion that raged inside of him, causing him to toss and turn all night as he bid her an extremely reluctant goodbye last night.

Last night he had done things he had never done before.

The most intense of which had been opening up to Lily Evans. Telling her everything in his heart. His fears, and his concerns, that she had listened to, and practically drank up every word prompted him to do something he had not done since they were children.

To trust her.

Soon they were locked in kisses, passionate embraces, speaking volumes without saying a word.

Her skin was so soft, so very soft. The scent of it lingered under his nose as he moved from her neck to her shoulder that he had exposed with a soft tug of the shirt under her work tunic.

He saw the strap of a black bra, and it made him groan with desire as he wanted to see the rest of it...

Inside him teenage feelings of lust and arousal were raging as the cold, cool restraint of an adult dampened them with urges to take things slow.

As her fingers made it towards his frockcoat buttons he knew that she was not listening to the restrictions in her own body and desired him just as much as he wanted her, but he could not allow himself to do this...Not yet.

He was so inexperienced...so very inexperienced. And knew very little, though thankfully, pleasant desires and dreams had led him so far...

Looking to the Prophet at the side of his desk a rather plump woman was smiling widely at the camera as the headline typed itself out:

"Umbridge strengthens legislation against Werewolves-'Dangerous Half-breeds threat to peaceful magical society''

Snape felt a pang of concern somewhere in the thick tar-like sea of hatred he felt for Lupin.

"...Lucky for you Dumbledore doesn't find you a threat." Snape managed to mutter before looking back at his essay.

"The Daily Prophet never could be trusted. Remember when that 'Gas Explosion' happened? All those muggles killed...they never did say what happened..."

"That was some years ago..." Snape replied. "Not forgetting that fire that killed Mrs. Pettigrew and her son."

"...Poor Peter." sighed Remus.

"Are you looking for a shoulder to cry on, Lupin, because I can tell you now, you will not find it here."

"...No. I wanted to apologise for yesterday. It was callous of me for what I did..." Remus admitted,

looking down. "...I want to wish you and Lily well...She's a good woman-."

"Too good for me...?" Snape said, completing his sentence.

"...Too good for either of us, if I am honest...Severus. But I think you could probably treat her better than I did."

"...I will certainly try."

"Dumbledore asked to see me last night." Remus began.

"Oh?"

"Yes. He said that there may be changes afoot and that I should prepare myself for the inevitable."

"Hmm-mmm."

"What did he mean by that—I wonder."

"Its Dumbledore. That could mean anything from there is a Wizarding War coming to we're changing the type of milk we have brought in..."

Remus chuckled slightly and nodded.

"Quite..."

Snape looked to Remus.

"...Did he say anything else?"

"No. Not really..."

"Not really?"

"Well, he asked me if you had produced any wolfsbane yet..."

"...It is currently brewing. I would hate to get it wrong...Having half the students 'wolfing out' near the moon and disrupting my lesson plans for 4 days a month isn't my idea of fun..."

"Indeed."

Snape packed away his essays and looked to him.

"...So...if there is anything else?" asked Snape.

"...Are you meeting Lily Tonight?"

"...What business is it of yours...?" Snape asked rapidly.

"...Look, I am done trying to wind you up...Severus. I am just asking."

"Yes. Problem?"

"...Not that I am telling you what to do...But she does love White roses..." Remus admitted, scraping his thumbnail awkwardly against the door frame.

"...White roses?"

"Yes. They are her favourites...So...if you wanted to...make a good impression...White roses are the way to go."

"...Well...uhm...Thank you."

"No problem...Oh, and...she likes to be near water..."

"I know..." Snape nodded, remembering with fondness the innocent 'dates' they had next to the water at Spinners end. That seemed so far ago, yet in the same way, was like yesterday.

Remus nodded and left the classroom, his hand lingering on the door-frame as if he longed to say other things.

Snape looked towards the door and then at his paperwork again.

Last night before parting Lily had arranged to meet Severus at the gates at 7. Thankfully, tomorrow would be Saturday and both he and Lily had the whole day to themselves. She had playfully suggested she take him clothes shopping, something he had declined vehemently and then suggested he teach her how to brew some more complicated potions to which she had declined.

But one thing was agreed on...they would spend it together.

Tonight he had decided that he would perhaps arrange for the house elves to deliver a meal to their quarters, or even sit by the lake with a picnic and watch the sun set if it was not too cold.

Perhaps even take the boat out onto the lake for a midnight rowing...?

Walking to his chambers he saw that Malfoy was leaning idly against the door.

"...What is it Malfoy?" he asked irritably.

"Sir, I wanted to apologize for my actions yesterday. I shouldn't have done that to Longbottom..."

Snape greeted this sudden apology with the calmness it deserved.

"Good, now move along."

He was just about to remove the locking spell on his door when he heard Draco say:

"...Lily Evans, isn't it? Born 1960, Muggleborn, Gryffindor?"

Snape wanted to turn around and grab Malfoy by the neck and ask him what else he knew, but he froze, and listened to Lily intoning to 'ignore him'.

"Good day Malfoy..."

Walking into his room he dropped his papers and cast a Patronus at once.

A beautiful doe sprouted from his wand and turned to look at him. Kneeling before it he said:

"Draco Malfoy is behaving in an irrational manner and has information on Lily that may or may not mean she is in danger...Please advise me.".

With a sweep of his wand, the doe sprinted off, through the door, towards Dumbledore.

As he got up he looked sharply to his left, seeing that it was only a mirror.

He moved a strand of hair from his face and examined his eyes, they looked strained...bloodshot...

Not a good look.

Moving to his cabinet he looked at the various tiny tincture bottles and selected the correct one.

Pinching the dropper he sucked a few drops of the butter coloured liquid and dropped a few drops into each eye. At once the redness shrunk back into the eyes and they seemed fine again.

He walked out of his door, checking for Draco before walking smartly towards the main body of the school. As he did, he heard overhead, hurrying, stampeding, as if Peeves was playing a trick on the students, but the screams that followed were not in temporary dismay...No these were fear...

Seizing his cloak, he ran up the stairs to see Flitwick ushering students back from some unknown, some unseen darkness.

Dementors...

Snape looked towards the students and then to Minerva who was swirling her wand around her head like a lasso before casting an impressive shield Patronus.

"Severus! The Students! Take them back at once!" she cried.

"EVERYONE! FOLLOW ME." Snape barked and walked towards the dungeons where students anxiously followed.

Remus Lupin was casting his own Patronus, a four legged rapid moving creature that was taking on the advancing shadows and battling back what seemed to be at least 20 dementors...The whole of Azkaban's guards had to be here...

"_Tell me about the Dementors again..."_

Lily...

"Go! Hurry, to the dungeons at once!" he ordered, ushering the students, as many as he could. There appeared to only be a hundred students here, so he assumed other students had been ushered away by others, all the time his mind on Lily and if she was safe...

Urging the students into the larger of the dungeons where he stood guard over the entrance, casting his Patronus to patrol the corridor. Only the comfort that Lily had declared herself 'able to handle herself' that she was safe.

"Sir...why are they here?" a girl asked shrilly.

"I am not yet sure...You will be safe here." Snape nodded curtly, keeping a careful watch. He scanned the crowd of students to see if Longbottom or Malfoy were amongst them. Neither were...At least he wouldn't have to separate the pair.

A few moments later, Severus saw that Minerva was coming towards him, her hair dishevelled and her hat askew.

"...Severus..."

She pulled him from the classroom and shut the door, casting an imperturbable charm at the door.

"...Is it Lily?" he asked, feeling the blood drain from his face to match her ashen one.

"...No. She is in the main hall attending to the captives. The Dementors have abandoned Azkaban, the prisoners have escaped...and the dark lord is back..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Snape walked through the school towards Dumbledore's office. The Dementors had been banished, but the panic hung in the air like stale smoke.

The students had been sent to their houses and were being watched over by their respective ghosts and now all faculty had been asked to attend to Dumbledore's office immediately.

Having ensured his students were in their dorms he went on his way. Hoping Lily was amongst those called in.

When he arrived he found the way up to the headmasters office was already open and walked up the stairs to find all of the faculty, and a fair few people he knew only very vaguely, amongst them, thankfully, was Lily.

She looked a little battle worn, a gash was healing already on her right cheek as Madam Pomfrey shakily tried to fix it with her wand.

Dumbledore looked troubled as a tall black man in purple was speaking with him whom he did not recognize, and standing in the background with a peculiar looking blue magical eye was an Auror he recalled seeing before somewhere before.

"...Whatever is going on Albus?" asked Filius. "The students are panicked, and already rumours are circulating!"

"...Is it true Albus? Is he back?" asked Professor Sprout

.

Severus looked to Lily, willing her for some information, then wondering, why she was here at all.

Lily seemed to avoid his gaze entirely, leaving Severus with a cold hollow feeling in his chest. As if he were being omitted from a secret...

"...He's back." Albus conceded darkly, looking like a defeated man. "...Voldemort is back."

"...How do you know?" asked Professor Sprout, her nose patched with dirt.

Dumbledore looked up at them all, then stood slowly, gathering his words before speaking to them all.

"...This afternoon, not an hour ago. The Minister for Magic himself appeared in my fire-grate in my office, near where you stand now, Professor Sinistra. He informed me that there had been a mass jail break at Azkaban. He could not read the signs as plainly as I did. But it was clear there was dark forces at work..." Dumbledore then looked at Kingsley. "After all, buildings do not simply self-destruct on their own."

"...We have a covert Auror agent placed in Hogsmede who was able to tell us quickly that Dementors were headed towards Hogwarts and Professor Flitwick was able to keep the majority of them repelled while we secured the students...The agent has confirmed they saw Death Eaters in Hogsmede."

"...But whom were these Death Eaters? And how can we be so sure..." asked Minerva nervously.

"An Agent in Hogsmede?" began Madam Hooch. "...Who is it?"

Dumbledore's eyes fell to the desk as he looked at the paperwork.

Severus looked to Lily as if to ask if she knew of anyone who it could be, but saw fire in her cheeks. Her eyes focused on the ground. Her head low...

Severus looked confusedly at her, wondering why she was behaving in such an unusual manner, had the battle hurt her at all.

"...Lily?" Snape softly said, hoping she would hear him without distracting the now fast paced discussion going on.

Lily would not look at him.

Could, not look at him.

Her head hung lower and the peculiar man with the blue eye was now focused on him, despite the rapidity of the questions flying back and forth.

"...Lily Evans." Snape repeated. Slightly louder. An unreachable panic in his stomach rising up like a cold full moon in winter. Taking the warmth of seeing her safe away with it.

Still she did not look at him.

Gripping his wand tight in his fist in his pocket, he walked towards her, finally disturbing the scene and took her arm in his hand.

"Lily, look at me!"

Lily did not and simply turned her head away.

"...Wh—why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

The black, bald headed man sighed and looked to Dumbledore who simply nodded once.

"...Severus, perhaps we could go somewhere else...You, Lily and I, there is something private you must hear."

"...No." Snape replied sharply to him. "I don't know you and I want to speak to Lily..."

The faculty's eyes burned into him as Lily whispered.

"Not here...Sev."

"Here." Snape insisted, feeling as though he were the butt of a very cruel and badly designed joke, not caring that he was now the centre of attention.

Remus Lupin moved forwards to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"..Severus. Go somewhere else...Trust me."

Turning, he pushed Remus away from him towards the wall.

"Get off me you pathetic half-breed!" he snarled.

"Severus!" Minerva cried. "Stop this!"

"It's me!"

Snape turned to Lily who had jumped to her feet and was glassy eyed.

"...I'm the Auror. I'm the covert Auror in Hogsmede..."

Snape looked to Lily as if to question why she was lying.

"...Lily?"

"...Severus...Please...I..."

Suddenly...

So very suddenly, an unwelcome, searing surge of lava-like understanding burned through his chest, melting that icy moon and causing him to relive bitter, and painful embarrassment as everything slotted into place.

Lily, the brilliant, and brainy Lily had not wrote recipes for the Prophet...

She had become and Auror.

She had the right qualifications...

And had gone off the social radar as Auror's had meant to do...

No wonder he had not heard of her in so long...

Slughorn hadn't got her that job in Hogsmede...

The Auror office had, to cover her secretive past...

Remus knew...Remus had to have known...

And her kind, gentle, almost absorbent listening...had been ways of getting information from him...

And the way she felt about him...

Well...

That was a lie...

A well spun, well devised, well acted lie...by someone he classed as his best friend...

And soul-mate.

Feeling nausea surge up inside him, he looked to Lily who was stood, shaking, tears...well acted tears forming in those deceitful green eyes.

"...You...deceived me." he said coldly, the shaking in his voice reverberating inside his chest.

"No...Sev...I...I never deceived you...I feel the same way, I have always felt the same way...They asked me to do this after we met!"

"...No. You deceived me!" Snape barked, tears forming in his black eyes, pointing accusingly at her. "YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. I TRUSTED YOU ABOVE ALL OTHERS! I TRUSTED YOU WITH EVERYTHING! AND YOU BETRAYED ME! FOR THE MINISTRY!"

Lily burst into tears.

"...Please...Sev!"

Severus swallowed the pain, a hard solid lump in his throat down into his chest where it was embraced by the fire.

"...I do not wish to see you again. Get out of my life. Never contact me. And above all, never think of me again...You are, quite possibly, the cruellest person I have ever dealt with..."

With that he looked to Dumbledore who stood, looking every day as old as he was, he nodded formally before storming from that office.

Walking quickly, keeping his emotions on ice, he felt the layers of coldness that was keeping his agony still in the midst of a frost shedding rapidly as the unwelcome sun that was his love for Lily rose with the thought he had lost her.

Staggering a few more steps, he found himself collapsing to his knees as traitorous tears flooded from his eyes.

Lily had been the light in the darkness these last few days...

A miracle, a way to make his life worthwhile...

And now, even she was a lie...

Sobbing, unabashed, deep, rolling sobs, that ached to come out, a burning of pain in his chest...

A pulsing, convulsing agony that desired birth...

He did not care for what he had left behind, who had seen, who had heard...

Or who saw now...

His only desire was to flood these tears out, and then to walk...and never stop.

Sobbing in his own misery, the world looked unstable through the salty, tormenting tears in his eyes and rightly so, his world had just fallen apart.

Despite his misery, his ears were as keen as always, and turning quickly to see who dared disturb his agony, he saw a wobbly figure all in black approaching him.

Whipping his wand out he called, in a broken voice:

"Who goes there!"

The figure raised its wand arm...

Snape prepared to cast a shield charm but too late...

A curse hit him so rapidly he was knocked from his feet. The last thing he felt was his head hitting the floor.

There was agitated chatter in Albus' office.

Voldemort had had one of his death eaters nail something to the door of Hogwarts in a Lutheran style fashion.

Dumbledore was sat with his head resting on his hand as he read it over and over again.

"_The war is coming. Choose your side."_

Lily had found herself sobbing into Madam Pomfrey's shoulder as Minerva stroked her back offering gentle words of comfort as Professor Sprout admonished Kingsley for making Lily, a retired Auror part of this, particularly given her target was a romantic interest.

Lily could not imagine her life without Severus.

No man, had ever treated her with the gentle tenderness he offered to her. He made her feel as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

He greeted her with courtesy, held her hand between his as if it were a delicate object that deserved special care. Kissed her skin as if every inch were something to be worshipped. A sacred text or a holy cloth.

He spoke with such conviction to her, and listened with rapt attention. She sometimes wondered if he counted the seconds between each sentence she uttered.

He was almost devout in his affection to her.

And she found this so beautifully refreshing. It filled her heart with joy to see him.

There was no doubt.

She loved him.

After Poppy had dried her eyes a fourth time on her apron, Lily stood up angrily.

"I'm going after him!" she rasped.

"Lily, it's best you leave him." Advised Dumbledore. "Severus is not a man who would want his emotions to show when he is most vulnerable."

"Yeh'd best leave him t'stew fer a few days." Hagrid agreed, nursing a black eye with some dragon meat as Fang begged at his feet. "He can turn nasteh from time to time..."

"...I don't care. He needs to know that I love him and that this was no mission." Lily cried.

"...You did betray his trust...He trusted you..." Minerva replied softly.

"Minerva. She did what she had to for the Ministry. We thought he was back." Kingsley retorted. "...Lily was close to someone who had a more direct link with the death eaters than any other we knew..."

"And he is no death eater! Severus Snape is as vulnerable as any of us! More so! And now you have made him think that the love of his life was never truly his to love!" Madam Pomfrey declared.

Remus looked up.

"...I think Lily should go and explain..." he replied quietly.

"...Remus...What if he shuns me?" Lily asked, turning to her former love for advice.

"...Lily, if you love him the way you say you do, he will be able to hear the strength in your voice..."

Lily looked to Dumbledore.

"...I love him." She looked to all the members of the staff who were staring at her, even Filch who stood, pop-eyed and jowls aquiver.

"...I love him. He makes me feel good. He makes me feel real...When I gave up being an Auror, I always hoped that I could renew my friendship with him. But, it became something more than that. Something that, I'm sorry Remus, that I had never felt before...And I will not give that up now because of what happened.

However bad this looks, however much it looks like I only got close to Severus to get information on Voldemort, I know, and he will know that my interest and love for him was real...Despite me betraying his confidence!"

"Then go!" cried Filius who was now standing on a chair in Albus' office. "Go you silly girl!"

Fighting a smile she ran from the office to find Snape.

Her heart was beating a rapid military tattoo against her chest as she looked for him, running towards the dungeons where she knew he would be. But then stopping as she saw a small, round, perfectly undisturbed pool of blood with a few, slightly lengthy black hairs in it.

Pausing, she knew that this was not part of the battle that had taken place in the entrance hall of Hogwarts. She knew that this was recent...

This was something to do with Severus.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Severus woke up to some very peculiar sounds. It sounded like heavy rain hitting a plastic sheet. Much like the tarp he would hide under when it was raining at Spinner's End when he had to get out of the house.

Those days, Lily's mother and father would not let her out to play, so he spent the time under a make shift tent, trying to turn the puddles of rain water into tar.

But he became aware of the feeling of rain hitting his skin...and the noise did not come from tarp, but the skin of his own ears...

Feeling the urge to blink , he found cold water running down his cheeks and became aware that he was soaking wet.

Blinking blearily he drew his hands towards his face to rub life into his face only to find them bound by cold, wet metal.

And then he remembered.

A dark figure...

A wand...

A curse...

His head...

Blinking rapidly now, he looked cautiously around to find himself in a barely adequete cell. A ruins of a cell. The water was cruel and harsh and the smell that surrounded the area was of death, hopelessness, desolation, human waste...and salt.

Raising his head he looked up to see where he could have possibly been brought to by his would be assassin.

The room was stone, built as if it had once been a jail-cell, which confirmed his opinions on what the smeared blackish-brown substance was on the wall. There were puddles in the cell, half the roof had been blown away, seemingly by the strong winds which were howling around him, making him question how he could have stayed unconscious for so long. But bizarrely, the door was locked.

Pulling at his manacles which raised his arms above his head, he found them unyielding and knew instinctively his wand was not on his person, nor nearby.

Swallowing he closed his eyes and tried to gauge the type of magic on these handcuffs. They seemed entirely used in the muggle fashion, but whomever had brought him to this place would certainly have placed some form of magic on them.

Looking towards the door frame he concentrated all of his thoughts into making the lock open.

"...Alohamora..." he mumbled.

The lock glowed vaguely, but failed to unlock.

He had mastered wandless magic at a very early age, but had not had real cause to use it for quite a while.

Swallowing back the throbbing pain in his head, and the stale pain in his heart, that he simply HAD to ignore to get out of here, he focused on the lock opening.

"...Alohamora...Alohamora...Alohamora..." he muttered under his breath until finally he heard the satisfying 'Clink' of a lock opening.

Opening his eyes he saw a pale face in a mane of black curls.

"...Ello Sevvy..." A familiar, babyish, sing-song voice.

"...Bellatrix Black."

"Lestrange actually...And I hear you've been busy too, Sevvy-Wevvy." she grinned.

"...Please..." Severus began as if the word caused him mortal pain. "...Stop calling me that, you have NO idea how disturbing it is."

Looking around idly, as if merely bored he looked to Bellatrix.

"...So, it was you who brought me here?"

Bellatrix scoffed, her blackened teeth and ashen skin was testimony to her imprisonment in Azkaban.

"Let me guess...Malfoy." Snape began.

"...Not alone.." she muttered.

Snape tried to conceal his shock but smirked.

"...Do tell..."

"You'll get to meet him shortly..."

"...So you just needed a distraction...To get to me?" laughed Snape. Sounding as derisive as he could manage.

"Most never understood the dark lord's desire to seek you out...Severus. There are other potioneers. Better people suited...even people who would want to serve him.

But for some reason, he prized you very highly...I understood him. After all, I always have understood him more than any other..."

"...This is all so very touching Bella, but doesn't Rodolphus object to this love affair you have with he who must not be named?"

"...Love him...? I WORSHIP THE GROUND HE WALKS ON..." Bellatrix spat in his face.

Severus looked away in an urge to deny her the pleasure of spitting on him again.

"...So what is the plan, am I to be tortured with the cold rain or is this simply part of the character of the place...?"

Bellatrix chuckled churlishly and stared at him.

"...This, is NOTHING compared to what is to come, Severus...Believe me."

She walked backwards towards the doors and tapped the lock once more.

The door opened to reveal a plump, squat, balding looking wizard that seemed to have seen better days.

But he was instantly recognizable.

"...Not that it comes as a shock, Pettigrew...But where did you find the time to be fascinated by the dark arts when you were so busy being an arsehole."

Peter Pettigrew drew close, twitchy and badly shaved.

"...You...You...have no idea...how much...the dark lord will reward me...for this!"

"...The castle...where have you been hiding?" he asked.

"...Draco has been keeping him as a 'pet'. Peter is an Animagus, his Animagus form is a rat, easily disguised. By day he was taken care of by Draco. By night he has been searching the castle for a way to get to you."

Severus looked confused.

"...Wait. You're expecting me to believe that by night Pettigrew could have attacked me at any point but decided to create a huge diversion in which you would kidnap me involving half the Dementors in Azkaban."

Pettigrew snorted in laughter and twitched nervously.

"...There...There came a more interesting way to get to you...A really, interesting way... "

"Sevvy Wevvy was in looovvve!" Bellatrix chuckled then pretended to vomit.

"...You see, I-I could sneak into your office, sneak into her robes and c-c-catch a ride to her home...And believe me, she's been having some i-in-in-interesting dinner guests..."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, you know who he is...don't you Sevvy?" Bellatrix grinned.

"No, actually. I don't." Sighed Snape, looking idly up at his handcuffs that bound him to the wall.

"He's an Auror..."

"Ah...of course." he sighed, half-sadly.

"...When I-I...heard that they were giving her a special task to get close to you...I knew they were trying to get information on the dark lord!...I had to find a way of getting in...and stopping her..."

"...What did you do Pettigrew?" he snapped. "What did you do to Lily!"

Bellatrix cackled and danced around wildly in the dank cell.

"...There wasn't much I could do...A-A grown man materializing in the middle of the school and c-c-casting a curse at the potions master would have too many people talking, and talking would lead to the Dark lord's name being spoken in fear...when really, he wanted to take the more indirect route this time. Softly...softly...catchy...monkey..." he stammered.

"...Yet, that's precisely what you did, you round-bellied buffoon." Snape snarled.

"...We already told you Sevvy...the Dementors were a distraction." Bellatrix grinned.

"...Yes, to getting me."

Bellatrix clapped and hopped from one foot to the other.

"He doesn't know!"

"...The Dark Lord always knew that you only turned from him because of that mudblood girl."

"...What have you done to her...?" Snape asked, feeling the blood drain from his head...his stomach...his body...in fear.

Bellatrix squealed and clapped, now dancing around the room in a bizarre madness.

"...I may not have been able to get close to you...Severus, but I got close to another member of the faculty...So close you might say I even...rubbed off on him somewhat. He will be dealing with her in a short while..."

Lupin walked around the pool of blood as Lily paced.

"Where have they taken him? Who has taken him?" she fretted.

"...I don't know Lily..." Remus mumbled as he examined the pool of blood. "There is no doubt, that is Severus' hair."

"Of course its his hair! You think I wouldn't know my own boyfriend's hair!" she shrieked shrilly.

"...Pomona, go and ask the bloody baron to summon Draco Malfoy...I shall contact the ministry." began Minerva.

"Can you be sure this is something to do with the death eaters, Minerva?" asked Pomona.

"Whom else would have taken him?" asked Lily desperately, pacing in worry.

"And there is no doubt this is Severus' blood...?" asked Pomona, her dirty patched nose becoming red.

"...No doubt...That's his hair." Remus concluded.

"...So this is kidknap?" Asked Madam Hooch.

"...No doubt. We should split up. Look for him. Lily and I should go to Malfoy Manor..." Remus began at once.

"This is an Auror matter Lupin." Kingsley said in a low voice.

"...And you can trust me!" Remus barked.

"...Silence..." began Albus, speaking for the first time since they had found the bloody floor

He was kneeling on the floor where a faint trace of a shoe print was left on the stone in a slight white dust.

He brushed the foot print with a long, pointed finger and then brought the residue to his tongue, tasting it.

Lily saw Minerva pull a less than pleased face.

"...Salt water. Whomever has taken Severus, has come from somewhere near the sea..."

"...The Sea?" Lily asked.

Mad Eye tapped his cane.

"...Azkaban i'd wager...Safest place for any death eater right now. No wizards would go near, easily accessible, Dementor guards..."

"They've taken Severus to Azkaban? Surely the dark lord would have chosen somewhere

less...obvious?" Lily began, her brow furrowed.

"...Who said the dark lord is involved yet...? They said Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from there...who is to say she hasn't organized this party...?" Mad Eye began.

"...Bellatrix? She was the worst of all of them..." Lily said, her eyes wild with fear. "...Remus, we have to get to him!"

"I agree...We'll disapparate to Azkaban..."

"...You can't go alone." Began Kingsley. "Lily is trained Auror, but you are but a teacher."

"We'll go, and if we have any leads I will send a Patronus." Lily confirmed.

"..Very well." Kingsley agreed. "We shall get people to Malfoy Manor at once, and have the place searched from top to bottom, Pomona, go and make sure that Draco Malfoy is kept under surveillance for the time being. Albus, contact the ministry, inform them of this and ask them to raise the alert level."

Albus nodded as Pomona walked swiftly away.

Mad eye looked at Remus.

"...Look after her...and find him..."

Remus nodded and took Lily by the elbow swiftly, walking her quickly away from the party that were now discussing the best way to deal with this.

"Come with me, we'll need cloaks. The North sea is terrible." he began.

Lily nodded and followed Remus closely.

All the while horrid thoughts of what Severus was going through in her mind.

Was he being tortured?

Crucio'd? Bellatrix was always adept at performing that curse. What if right now Severus was twitching, writhing on the filthy floor, bleeding and bruised, crying for mercy as she laughed...that same laugh she laughed as she was sent to Azkaban.

Severus, was in danger...and it was all her fault.

She was so deeply immersed into her thoughts she bumped straight into Lupin who had stopped dead.

Looking ahead she got her wand out and cast it accusingly into the dimness of the badly lit corridor.

There was nobody in the corridor.

Looking at him quizzically, she asked:

"...Remus? Come on, we have to get there before its too late!"

Remus had a bizarre, blank look on his face. A sudden, nothingness on his face.

"...Remus?"

Lifting his wand arm, he raised his wand to Lily as if being directed by an invisible force.

"...Remus?"

"STUPEFY!"

Remus fell back heavily as from behind Lily, at the bottom of the corridor Mad-Eye Moody stood with his wand arm extended.

"Imperius curse. Someone wants you out of Snape's life Lily...I'd wager they reckon if you're dead, Snape would go over like a shot..."

"Remus? Imperius curse?"

"...I couldn't be certain...But now I am. Incarcerous!"

Ropes flew from his wand and bound the unconscious lupin up.

"...If Snape is at Azkaban, either they'll torture him to insanity, or he'll be given the Dementors kiss. The inmates have taken over the asylum Lily...and we need to save y'man, Snape."

Lily nodded firmly.

"...Unfortunately...Someone i'd rather not deal with has something that may help me get to Snape undetected..." Sighing she looked to Mad-Eye. "I need an invisibility cloak."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Lily Evans..."

James Potter savoured the sound of her name over his tongue as if it were a fine wine.

"What could I have done to get the Goddess, Lily Evans at my door?" he asked, leaning idly against the door frame.

"...Its not so much what you did, more of what you have." Lily began, looking at him deliberately.

"Well, no doubt I have sex appeal...But, what brings you here now?" He grinned.

"...Your cloak. I need it."

"...Which one?"

"The invisibility one."

"...Why?" James asked.

"I need it to rescue my boyfriend."

"...Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa..." began Potter. "First you turn up, after not seeing me for

years...Second, you don't even give me a kiss on the cheek, third, you lead me on into parting with a treasured heirloom to save a 'boyfriend'?"

"...Well, seeing as you're offended, would now be the best time to tell you its Severus Snape?"

James looked as though he was about to vomit.

"...Lily, tell me...tell me...its not Snivellus. Tell me there is another poor bastard out there with the same name..."

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT."

"Oh Christ Lily...have some taste! I offered you prime steak and still you went for bargain cuts from the butchers bin?"

Lily slapped him swiftly across the face.

"Can I have the cloak or not?"

James tended to his cheek and shook his head experimentally.

"...Right, come in and we'll have a chat because I do not know why you are dating him, why you aren't dating me, or why you need to 'rescue' Snivelly."

"I haven't got the time to do that!" Lily snapped.

"Make the time Evans, or you're gonna be doing it without my cloak. Clear?"

Lily sighed and pushed past James and into his house.

His team colours of Puddlemere united were emblazoned on the walls and emblazoned on various wall hangings.

"...You heard I became a Chaser for them right?" he grinned.

"Duh." she sighed.

"...Yeah. Sirius! Put the kettle on..."

Leaning into the living room she saw a large, animated canvas of James and his team mates at the training grounds of Puddlemere United, celebrating a win, holding the cup aloft. James was ruffling the hair of someone while whooping at the camera.

"...Up yourself much?" she muttered.

"...Only as much as I can. You would not believe the amount of fan mail I get...Some days, I get the most absurd requests from hot, young girl fans..." he said, walking in behind her and smirking.

"Look, as much as I would love to hear the tale of a day in the life of James Potter, time is of the essence." she implored.

Sirius Black came in, long haired, handsome, and wearing a dark plum suit.

"Hello Lily..." he said idly.

"Hey Sirius. Look, can I, or can't I?" Lily asked turning back to James.

"So, just break this down for me..." he began, sitting down and opening his arms luxuriantly across his couches top. "...Why Snivellus?"

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

"...I love him."

"...Nah, I'm gonna need more than that..." James began, suddenly sitting forwards. "I mean, say he just slipped you an amortentia potion? Let me guess, he bought you a drink and then you fell in loooove?"

Lily glared at James.

"...We've been friends since we were 9 years old...He was the first person to tell me I was a witch and the first person to show me that I was special."

"And he called you a mudblood, or have you forgotten that?" James asked, sneering at the word.

"...I forgave that. He was young, and naïve. He was impressionable. And now...well, now he's different. He's older, kinder, and mature!" Lily began.

"So am I!" James interrupted.

"...Potter, you can't even say his name without being an obnoxious prick!" Lily snarled.

"You have to admit Lily, back at School, he was an annoying git." Sirius began.

"Why? Was his breathing too loud for you?" Lily snapped.

"...He hung out with death-eaters! People who killed other people!"

"And now they're trying to kill him!" Lily declared.

Silence met the outburst.

"...Kill him?" Potter repeated.

"...There was a mass breakout at Azkaban a few hours ago. Inmates escaped, and...Someone took him." Lily admitted, looking down at the varnished floor boards.

"...Who?" asked Sirius.

"I don't know do I?" Lily replied tiredly. Time was growing short...

"...Chill." James enthused. ...So, you're saying, death eaters have escaped Azkaban? And kidnapped Severus Snape?"

"Yes." Lily replied.

"...Why?" Sirius asked.

"...You know that technically, I shouldn't even be saying this...They're saying he's back..."

"...Who?" asked James, his eyebrows meeting above his glasses.

"...Voldemort."

James winced at the sound of his name.

"Grow a pair, would you?" she uttered.

"He can't be back. Neville Longbottom killed him..." James responded childishly.

"...They're saying he's back. And I trust them." Lily confirmed.

"And who is they?" James asked.

"...Albus Dumbledore."

Sirius nodded to James.

"...Just because you were in the Order of the Phoenix..." James began derisively to Sirius.

"I trust him. He was right the last time, I trust him this time." nodded Sirius firmly.

Lily looked to Sirius.

"...They're holding him at Azkaban. They want him to join them...If he says no, they will kill him to save our side from getting the use out of his intellectual prowess and skills. I need the cloak to get in and save him."

Lily saw Sirius supress a shudder, Azkaban was the wizarding prison that all wizards dreaded, Sirius in particular. He often expressed that his brother would end up there...had he not completely disappeared as a young man.

"And when did you become Dolly Do-it-All?" James asked.

"...What do you mean?"

"You think marching in there with your wand out while make the Dementors, and death eaters shrink away...? Clearly you need our help." Sirius completed. Folding his arms.

"...Oh yes, because a Chaser and a tea-boy is going to leave the dark lord shaking in his cloak." Lily smirked.

"I'm not just a chaser, Evans. I totally beat the shit out of Snivellus when duelling."

"Only because you hexed him unfairly." Lily responded.

"...You do need help, Lily." Sirius responded. "I shall contact Remus...An extra wand can't do any harm."

"He was imperiused." Lily replied swiftly.

"Who by?" asked James.

"I DON'T KNOW DICK HEAD." she cried. "WE NEED TO GO!"

"...this just got Personal...They mess with the marauders, they mess with me!" James said, standing him and slamming his fist into his palm decisively.

Lily hid her face in her palm.

"...Get your wand, get your cloak, we're disapparating."

"...Disapparating? To Azkaban. Lily...Behave." Sirius muttered smoothly.

"...What?" she asked.

"Azkaban is covered in anti-disapparation charms. Else anyone would pop in and get their relatives out. I suggest we fly there." Sirius suggested.

Lily made a disparaging noise.

"I never flew well. You might as well hire a muggle taxi to take us to the north sea!"

"...Yes, but we happen to have a chaser with us. I'm sure that he could give you a lift while I get the old flying motorbike out." Sirius grinned.

Lily did not want to enter Azkaban with James Potter lagging behind her like a trainee Auror on his first mission.

"...James, are you going to be an annoying prick or are you actually going to be a man about it and help me get Severus out?"

"...I'll help." he nodded seriously, that ridiculous piece of hair on the back of his head shaking as it stood up. "...I hate Snivellus, but...well, I was always keen on you Evans...And, if he imperiused Moony...I'm in."

Lily nodded.

"Then it's settled...Azkaban. Get ready."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Lily was riding on the back of a Firebolt, to the north sea, in the pouring, soaking rain, as an overexcited chaser whooped and yelled over to the wizard who was riding an enchanted motorbike to the UK's most infamous wizarding dwelling, Azkaban prison.

It should have been a thrilling, exciting adventure as an Auror. But, instead, her heart pounded with such fear, and sickness burned in her stomach like a quenchless fire. Her lover was in Azkaban, with Death Eaters who would not hesitate to kill him if he resisted to yield to their wills.

She was sure the Dementors nearby would be able to smell, taste...and savour her fear as she grew closer. The strange, tall, triangular building that reminded her of the Muggle chocolate, Toblerone, stood as imposing as a Dementor itself.

But there was a light she kept burning in her chest near her heart. It was a memory. A very clear memory.

One that ignited every Patronus she had ever cast.

Keeping it still so that she would not tire it before it was needed, she surrounded it with a warmth of comfort that Severus was still alive.

She would know, simply know if he was not. She would feel it in her heart, her blood, and her bones.

Holding the small patch of wood in front of her, she held tight to it. The slight vibration sickened her as it thrilled James Potter who was now veering left as he got closer to the building.

Sirius tapped the front of the motorbike with his wand and at once it became invisible.

She heard James shout into the wind.

"THE CLOAK!"

Lily pulled the cloak from her pocket and threw it over the pair of them. Hoping that it covered them enough to hide them from those who would be watching.

"WE'LL LAND AT THE GRAVE YARD AND GO IN BY FOOT. SIRIUS WILL BE IN HIS ANIMAGUS FORM!"

"HE'S AN ANIMAGUS?"

"WE ALL WERE! WELL 'CEPT MOONY! 'COS HE WAS A W-"

"NOT THE TIME! JUST FLY YOU MORON!"

James took the hint and started to bring the broomstick into land.

Bellatrix withdrew the wand from in front of Snape who was panting weakly. Steam was emitting from the soaking wet uniform as he breathed raggedly.

"...Oh come on Sevvy, we haven't even started yet!" she giggled. "...That was a warm up. Give me a really big scream..."

Snape raised his head weakly and looked at Bellatrix. Her thick mane of black and grey curls were laying over her face like a mane of a grizzled old lion.

Her blackened teeth broke into a sadistic smile.

"...You don't look too well Sevvy..."

Standing rapidly, she grabbed a fistful of his hair, her nails scraping the skin of his scalp, pulling his head straight to look at her.

"...You know. That girl? That red haired mudblood you were drooling after for years...She's dead now. Dead and gone..."

"...You have...no idea...what she's capable of..." he muttered, trying to present strength as it waned in his body. "...She's...an Auror, you know."

"Oh we know that..." Bellatrix laughed. "...We know lots of things Sevvy..."

She threw his head back down and sauntered over to the back wall, picking at the slimy brickwork with her nails.

"...I'm going to ask you again...and believe me, the more times you say no, the more fun I have. Are you going to do as we ask...and join us willingly, or am I going to have to kill you?"

"...You'll have to kill me Bellatrix. I get a much better pension plan with Hogwarts...and I hear that the death eaters dental plan is...atrocious..." he grinned weakly.

"CRUCIO!" She cried out in anger.

Severus felt electricity wire through him as he felt his blood boil in his veins.

Gritting his teeth he felt the manacles he was held by break with the force of the spell and allowed him to fall to the hard, wet floor.

Its just...a spell.

Its not real.

Its just a spell.

Its not real.

Its not real...

Its not real...

The spell ended as Bellatrix withdrew her wand.

"...You know, I bet that filthy mudblood is lying saturated in her own blood by now. I wonder if that half-breed werewolf friend of hers ripped her apart or...simply used the killing curse..."

"Its not...the full moon...you idiot..." he coughed weakly, raising his head from the filthy, wet stone floor.

"...The imperius curse can make you do strange things Sevvy..." she began kneeling next to him and stroking his hair in a bizarre act of comfort that put his already on edge body further on edge.

"...I will not do as you ask Bellatrix. You may as well kill me." he replied coldly.

"...I could imperius you." She grinned.

"...Try it... you hateful creature." he dared, half smirking.

Grinning sadistically, she pointed her wand at him.

"...Imperio!" she cursed.

Snape felt the sensation of all responsibility and concern start to leave him as the spell took hold.

He felt it start to set into every muscle.

Throwing it off with every fibre of his being, as he had done countless times with Mulciber who insisted on 'training him for later life'. It was like shedding a snakeskin and suddenly all the pain, all of the worry...everything returned as if he were being immersed in it.

Bellatrix's face twisted from joy to uncertainty, then anger.

"CRUCIO!"

Snape felt the renewal of the agony he felt before. Now thousands of shards of glass were stabbing him all over.

This time unable to contain his suffering he let out a scream.

"GOOD!" She grinned, twisting her wand and increasing the pain.

The glass shards increased, stabbing repeatedly. It became harder to dismiss the pain. To resist it.

Its not real.

Its not real.

Its not real.

Its not real

Snape felt his own dwindling powers reach out as he tried to perform wandless magic.

Feeling his hand become crushed beneath Bellatrix's heel he closed his eyes and begged in desperation for respite. Feeling the bones in his hand crush under her shoe.

She laughed.

"THIS IS FUN!" She shrieked.

Crying out. She finally released the crucio curse from him and smiled.

"...Are you ready to give in?" she asked.

"...No..." he near sobbed, the pain throbbing in his body. "...I...I will not help you...get the dark lord...back."

Bellatrix's smile wavered and instead she scowled.

"...You resilient bastard." She spat, flicking her wand up, she brought him to float aimlessly in front of her, gazing into his black eyes. "...You think you are anything special? The only reason we wanted you was because we knew you had the exact expertise we required. Coupling both dark magic and potions to give the dark lord back his body...We already have everything we need..."

"...To do...what you wanted, you would need...blood of..Longbottom..." Snape near whispered.

Bellatrix chuckled.

"...You think we would have left that part out?" she asked, turning from him, looking at the tip of her wand "Draco attacked Longbottom yesterday and managed to get enough of his blood to complete the ritual. He made it look like a simple school tussle. You were none the wiser."

Longbottom had got a bruised eye in that fight...He never mentioned Draco actually drawing blood.

Turning back to him, she said:

"...My nephew was born to be a Slytherin...unlike some."

Using cunning, Draco had drew blood from Longbottom, and punched him to disguise it as a simple fist fight.

"...My nephew will be rewarded for this." She grinned. "...We have the bone of his father...the blood of the enemy, I shall give the dark lord my sacrifice, and through your expertise. He will rise again..."

"...I will not...do it."

"...Do it..." she began, focusing her wand on him, performing some form of hex that made his insider churn uncomfortably, then painfully. "Or I swear by the dark Lord's return, I will destroy you in ways that will leave your body a shell...and your spirit in tatters at the veil."

Snape coughed weakly, tasting blood in his mouth.

Reaching inside himself, he longed for the memory that helped him cast his Patronus every time.

That wonderful light that would not, could not be extinguished. But in these dim, and dark walls, with Dementors at every door. It would not glow as brightly as it did.

Had Remus Lupin ripped Lily apart?

Was she dead?

Was her perfect white skin stained with blood?

Her tender flesh ripped asunder?

...Were those beautiful green eyes still...?

Looking up at Bellatrix who was stood, panting over him. He prepared to sell her his soul...

"...I..."

Suddenly, in the corridor behind her, he saw a glowing white light that had no business in Azkaban.

A Patronus.

Bellatrix saw the light in Severus' eyes as he registered hope in the form of someone who had no place in Azkaban, simply being there.

Bellatrix peered through the bars of the heavy iron door.

"...Its a doe." she replied coldly.

Severus felt the light inside of him glow brightly than ever before.

Lily Evans was alive.

And had come for him.

"...I...will kindly ask you...to shove your proposal...up your rectum." Snape sneered from his position on the floor.

"CRUCIO!"

The door blasted open swiftly.

There stood someone Snape never expected to see on a rescue mission, but was never the less happy to see someone at all.

"...COUSIN!" Sirius Black bellowed with delight, his arms held open in welcome before aiming a curse directly at her.

Bellatrix was too swift and cast a charm to protect herself whilst sending back a rapid curse. Sirius deflected it, parrying it to the wall, causing the bricks to explode.

Snape watched in awe, too weak to stand as the pair duelled, all the time wandering where his Lily was.

"PRONGS! GET YOUR ARSE IN HERE!" Sirius yelled.

"Serpensortia maxima!"

Bellatrix cast a curse at Sirius that caused snakes to erupt from her wand and wrap themselves wildly around him, incapacitating him.

Bellatrix seized Snape by the hand and impossibly disintegrated to a cloud of black powder.

"...What the actual fuck?" Sirius declared.

James ran into the cell and pointed his wand at the snakes.

"Vipera Evanesca!"

Sirius shuddered.

"...I hate snakes...Where is Lily?"

"...She's not with you?" James asked breathlessly.

"OBVIOUSLY NOT." Sirius snapped.

When Snape opened his eyes next, he was in a dark room, a dark room of death-eaters, all masked, cloaked and in a circle around a large cauldron that could easily fit a person in. Next to it, Lily sat in a black magical cage, looking dazed and confused.

Clearly confunded.

Bellatrix aimed her wand at him.

"...Do it. Or I will kill your girlfriend in front of you and you will bear her death on your insignificant soul for all eternity!"

"...Lily!" Snape roared in desperation.

Lily raised her head uncertainly, looking for the source of the voice.

Bellatrix flicked her wand and a large gash opened across his cheek.

"I will slit her throat in front of you and you will witness the true filth in her blood...I promise you. I will make you watch as her life ebb from her body, all because you did not do as I asked..."

Snape did not need to ask his heart twice what needed to be done.

"...I will require my wand." he began urgently.

"...In good time. The potion ingredients are there..." she nodded to a table beside the cauldron.

Snape knew of this magic.

A regeneration potion. Volatile, full of dark magic. Dangerous and requiring sacrifice. So far this potion, by its smell and look had been brewing for the correct amount of time, with the correct nurturing.

"...You have forgotten something...You must have an aspect of the dark lord to place in to the cauldron...A piece of him for the potion to work on..."

Bellatrix shook her head, smiling benignly.

"...Wormy..." she began slinkily.

From the ranks of the death eaters, one bearing a ragged bundle of cloth moved forwards.

Snape drew back slightly, fearing what relic of the dark lords they had managed to procure.

Instead, Pettigrew tended to the bundle as if to an infant.

"..M-My lord...soon...soon you will be strong enough..." he soothed shakily.

Snape gazed in horror as the raw looking, barely formed, spindly half-body of he who must not be named was revealed in the dirty cloth.

Placing him almost gently into the potion. He watched the liquid submerge the creature.

Let it drown...

Let it drown.

Let it drown.

Looking into the cauldron, it thrashed weakly, showing no signs of dying.

"...The spell Snape! The spell!" Bellatrix hissed urgently, poking him with her wand.

Snape swallowed weakly.

"...I..."

Bellatrix pointed her wand at Lily's cage.

"...shall I have it crush her body? Perhaps her bones will poke through her skin...like a squashed frog!" She shrieked hysterically.

Snape looked at the potion.

"...My wand."

Handing him his wand, Bellatrix smiled at Severus as he felt the remaining death eaters point their wands at him.

One false move, he and Lily would be dead.

"...Bone of the father...unwillingly given...this will renew your...son." he intoned. Remembering the dark spell by heart.

_Nothing that dark that he had read could ever be removed from his memory..._

He moved the leg bone of Mr. Riddle Snr. into the potion. It hissed and bubbled as it was embraced by the liquid.

Bellatrix moved anxiously forward and with a flick of a black-handled blade, she cut her left hand from its wrist without so much as a cry and watched it fall into the liquid. A gasp of delight escaped her lips and she drew back, bowing to the cauldron that was now steaming.

"...Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master..." Snape near choked.

The last ingredient remained. A phial of Longbottom's blood. His eyes swam over it...

"...Do it...or she dies..." Bellatrix reminded.

Snape retrieved the vial, his heart throbbing weakly in his chest. SO near to his throat it felt as though it would escape.

Holding it aloft over the cauldron he began..

"...Blood, or the enemy...forcibly taken...You...will resurrect...your foe..."

As he blood trickled down the neck of the bottle, Snape saw the drop hover near the lips of the bottle as the potion rippled desperately. As if waiting for its final action...

Just one slip, one tiny slip and the phial would be on the floor. The dark lord would be lost forever...

And Lily would be dead.

Closing his eyes, he waited for the blood to drop into the potion. For the inevitable apocalypse.

...And Lily and he would die anyway...

As soon as Voldemort lived...

As soon as he revived...

As soon as he returned...

They would be dead.

Snatching the bottle into his hand upright, denying the potion its final desire, he took the wand in his hand and cast a curse at the floor.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" he cried with a strength he did not feel he possessed.

In a moment of stillness, as if time itself stood still. Bellatrix looked at him, her lips parting in shock, then realization as the floor cracked and Snape...Smiled.

Under the weight of the death eaters, of him, Lily and the cauldron, the floor cracked and hopelessly, helplessly, they all fell downwards.

With an almighty crash, Snape felt bricks land on his back, pressing down on his spine, his legs. He opened his eyes, seeing death eaters looking dishevelled, ones who had not been injured and knocked out searching blindly for their wands amongst dust and rubble.

Bellatrix howling in misery at her precious plan being foiled and Pettigrew...with a vial of red liquid in his hand, hovering over a cauldron that tilted ever so precariously on a pile or broken bricks.

Still in tact...Still full...Still ready...

"NO!" Snape croaked, reaching out with his wand to hex Peter before he could do what he wanted to do.

But an arm around his chest pulled him free from the rubble, the sweetest smell filled his blood filled nose, and soon he was flying...

Up...and away...

Far away...

As below, the world ended...and he was bound for the clouds...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Waking up...

Snape could not be sure of what part of him hurt the most.

It could be the fact his head felt as if it had been smashed in with a sledgehammer. Or his hand, that felt as if someone had rammed it into a vice and crushed it into powder. Perhaps it was the fact that his legs and lower back felt as though they had been chewed on by a toothless, but strong jawed dragon.

Or his throat.

Hoarse, dry, and red raw...

Opening his bleary, red, sensitive eyes, he learned they too were angered as he adjusted to what seemed to be the brightest light he had ever seen.

A Patronus?

A Patronus guardian...At his side...

Looking around, the light was everywhere.

And then voices.

"...He'll be asleep for sometime..." a wheezy voice began sadly.

"It was a miracle any of you got out alive..." he heard a pompus voice declare.

"...They sure did a number on him..." Another concluded.

"...They made him do it Professor...and its all my fault." began a soft, gentle voice.

Snape heard the voice that made all of the agony in his body seem so very unimportant.

"...Li-Ly..." He croaked, the sound crawling over sore and dry vocal chords.

The light diminished as the curtains around his bed parted and several faces met his gaze.

Albus Dumbledore, benign and utterly relieved.

Cornelius Fudge, pompus and befuddled.

Minerva McGonagal, relieved and concerned.

Lily Evans, angelic and beautiful.

Sirius Black, laid back, and smarmy.

And James Potter, air-headed and a total prat.

"...What...happened?" Snape breathed.

Lily looked at Dumbledore who simply nodded.

Dressed in a white night-gown, and perfect, more so than he had ever seen her. She sat on his bed and took his hand. Ignoring the agony in his hand. Relishing her touch.

"...Well, what bits do you remember?" she asked softly.

Snape closed his eyes. Summoning thoughts that were lost in a haze and fog of pain.

_Agony..._

_Being crucio'd. _

_Bellatrix's black smile._

_Rain._

_Torture._

_Sirius Black._

_A cauldron._

_A cage..._

_Cauldron..._

_Voldemort..._

"...Pettigrew...finished the spell...didn't he...?" he sighed.

Lily half frowned.

"...Snape, I swear to God, I never knew Pettigrew was a death eater." James began.

Snape gave James a glance as if to say: 'Did you call me 'Snape'?'

"...I don't even know where to start..." Lily sighed. "...First things first...when you left, we found your blood and some of your hair just along the corridor from Professor Dumbedore's office. I knew it was your blood because I recognized your hair."

"...I discerned whomever had taken you, had taken you to Azkaban. The sea salt on the foot prints was too much of a give-away to simply be coincidence." Dumbledore added.

"...So, Remus offered to come with me." Lily began.

"...He was...imperiused." Snape reported. "...Pettigrew had imperiused him..."

"...Yes, and he tried to hex me, but Mad Eye got him." Lily half smiled.

"...Where is...he now?" he breathed unevenly.

"...He's in St. Mungo's...Mad Eye was a bit...hex-happy...He managed to switch his ears with walnuts. The effect was mildly hilarious." Sirius mentioned as if in passing.

"...I knew I had to get to Azkaban to save you...But I figured that I may have an advantage in an invisibility cloak."

Suddenly, James Potter's presence became validated.

"...Oh." he said, looking at him.

"...Yes, when we heard Lily planned to go alone, we offered to go as an extra pair of wands." James began, smiling proudly.

"...We travelled via broom and motorbike to Azkaban and snuck in through the graveyard, at the base of Azkaban. We snuck in and followed the Lily's Doe to your cell." Sirius explained.

"...How?" Snape asked, confused.

"...Well, I asked my doe to find you." began Lily softly, as if it was perfectly feasible.

"...Its not unheard of, but...some Patronuses, are simply...drawn to one another." Albus answered Snape's questioning look.

Snape looked to Lily.

"...Your Patronus found me?"

"...Unfortunately, before I could join it...Pettigrew got me." she sighed uneasily.

"...Pettigrew..." Snarled Sirius.

"...He faked his own death in a fire that killed his mother. What a bastard." James replied, slamming his fist on the end of Snape's bed causing it to shake.

"...How he made it into Gryffindor, I will never know." Minerva added.

"The hat can often be wrong, though it often denies that." Dumbledore responded.

"...I found Bellatrix torturing you. She was trying to perform the entrail-expelling curse." Sirius continued, looking mildly sickened.

"...That explains the taste of blood..."

"...Nasty curse. " James nodded.

"Unfortunately for her, I walked in and engaged her in a bit of duelling." Sirius grinned.

"...and then she beat you down with some snakes." James added, nudging him.

"...And she disapparated." Sirus finished.

"You simply cannot disapparate in Azkaban." Minerva began.

"...She did." Sirius said.

"...Hmmm..."

"...I think they confunded me..." Lily said softly. "...i knew where I was, and I knew that there was danger. But I just couldn't work out what I had to do or how to do it..."

"...They made me...perform..." Snape began.

"We know." Dumbledore nodded.

"...Did he..?"

"...Yes...In its entirety."

Snape closed his eyes bitterly.

"...Your escape plan was well thought considering it seemed off the cuff, Severus. Unfortunately, it left you with a broken spine, fractured legs, in addition to your other injuries which included concussion, a broken hand, various cuts and bruises...Thankfully, our own dear Poppy managed to heal you sufficiently. You will be alright in a few days." Calmed Dumbledore.

"...The fall managed to finish the confundus charm...and the magical cage I was in protected me from any damage..." Lily smiled at Snape.

"...I heard the noise and summoned the motorbike...James Summoned the broom...we flew to you. Lily had seized you at this point...and we flew you both out of there."

"...Pettigrew finished the spell..." Snape repeated.

"...Unfortunately. Yes."

"...There's that 'unfortunately' again...It seemed very inappropriate seeing as the dark lord has returned...And I helped." Snape snapped with bitterness

"...It was under duress Severus. Nobody could have blamed you." Dumbledore replied.

"...We're safe now..."

"...The dark Lord is back, Lily..."

"...And we shall face it together. If you still want me..."

"...Oh Lily..." he began softly, reaching to touch her perfect skin, seeing his own bandaged, dirty hand stroke her cheek. "...Forgive me?"

"...I did the first time..." she smiled. "...besides, I will be having words with Kingsley..."

Snape closed his eyes in contentment, enjoying the touch on her skin.

"...So...you two had sex or what?"

Snape's eyes opened quickly as he cast a perfect glare at James Potter, his own cheeks burning scarlet as he saw Dumbledore's eyebrows disappear into his thick white hair, Minerva make an uncomfortable noise and Cornelius Fudge nearly choke.

"...James, you can be a real prick sometimes." Sirius sighed and looked to Lily before mouthing: "...well?"

"I would never sleep with a woman before telling her I loved her." Snape declared quietly. "...And I do love you...Lily Evans."

Lily looked sharply to him.

"...Pardon?"

"...I love you."

A beautiful radiant smile broke out on her face as she leaned down to kiss him softly.

"Oh man...they're gonna do it aren't they..." James mourned loudly before walking away in disgust and Sirius chuckled softly. "I'm gonna leave you two to...well, do whatever you two do...Minister, how would one become an Auror after taking part in a very dangerous and bad-ass manoeuvre such as the one that just occurred?" he began, escorting the minister away from the bed.

"...Severus, I will need to question you further when you feel better. Lily, don't be too long. He has a lot of healing to do..."

"Understood, headmaster." Lily nodded, radiance in her smile.

With that Minerva and Dumbledore walked away and began talking amongst themselves."

"...I love you too Severus..." she smiled and stroked his hair.

Snape smiled at her.

"...You...are...the most important thing...that has ever happened to me..." He began weakly, still held back by the soreness in most of his internal organs and limbs. "...And I would gladly die, for you..."

Lily smiled and leaned down, her red hair tickling his face.

"...It will not come to that. I promise you." she smiled and kissed his nose.

"...I love you..." He smiled.

"And its time for bed. Miss. Evans, Professor Dumbledore does not want you going back to your apartment tonight and instead has stationed aurors there. You are requested to sleep in Professor Snape's quarters, seeing as he will be here." Poppy said urgently.

"...If that's alright?" she asked, looking at Snape.

"...That's fine..." he replied.

"...Good. Off you go!" she said, pointing to the door.

Lily rolled her eyes slightly and smirked before leaving the ward.

"Night Sev!"

"Goodnight sweetheart."

Snape looked at Poppy.

"...Is she alright?"

"...She barely had a scratch on her. You, on the other hand, need lots and lots of rest! I have seen many a thing during my time here. Bludgers embedded in stomachs. Snitches up peoples noses. Whole bones removed from limbs by bad spells! But...no, this was the worst."

"...Poppy, you are making me queasy."

"...Yes, well. Drink your skelegrow."

"But it tastes like rat piss." Snape mourned weakly.

Poppy slapped Snape's good wrist.

"Language! Mr. Creevy is trying to recover from Mumblemumps! Now drink!"

Snape drank back the bitter taste of the burning, acidic drink and then lay back fully in the bed.

"...Good Night, Professor."

Snape mumbled and closed his eyes, trying to imagine that Lily was besides him in this cold, lonely bed.

Somewhere in those warm thoughts, he saw an adult version of that weak, spindly creature Pettigrew held...And it looked furious.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Severus Snape was fit to leave the hospital wing after three days of intensive rest and therapy.

The routine included skelegrow being taken four or five times a day. Regular blood replenishment potions as his bruised organs healed. And finally plenty of sleep.

Being unable to rest on the night of his return to Hogwarts, Poppy had attended to him after he cried out in his sleep at seeing the rebirth of Voldemort and gave him a potion he had brewed with steady hands not three weeks earlier. A potion for dreamless sleep.

Lily had attended to him every waking moment from 9 am til 8pm each day.

Helping feed him his meals as his injured hand healed, cleaning the worst of his facial wounds by magic, tracing her wand delicately over his skin as he watched with something between adoration, and longing in his eyes.

As she did this, she relayed the news to him of what was happening in the outside world.

That Cornelius Fudge had taken the liberty of alerting the wizarding public that the dark lord was back, and an up-and-coming leader or the opposition, a Mister Pius Thicknesse had called Fudge idiotic and accused him of fear mongering and was trying to have him step down. Lily suspected that the death eaters had something to do with it.

She also reported that as a result the daily prophet were now trying to defrock Fudge as unstable and had called him 'Fear-mongering Fudge'.

She had managed to persuade Professor Slughorn to take over Snape's lessons for the time being to which Snape had asked Slughorn to not be to easy on them as they would expect it full time.

She explained that Draco Malfoy had been suspended pending investigation and as they could not ascertain whether Lucius Malfoy was at Azkaban, they could not prove he was involved, though he was using that cane much more as a walking aid than ever...

Neville Longbottom had been alerted to the fact the dark lord was back, and was probably bound for him. He had taken this information well, and 'on the chin' as Madam Hooch praised as she sat with him as Dumbledore informed him.

As such, Hogwarts had now been given every protection imaginable and the students had been warned to be wary of any unusual activity.

Lily smiled as she said this and said he was lucky to have missed the assembly as Dumbledore did 'Go-on-a-bit'.

On the day that Snape was due to be released. Lily walked up to his bed, and drew the curtains around.

Snape raised an eyebrow at this sudden act of secrecy and smiled hopefully.

"No chance." she smirked. "Kids have got to sleep in this bed you know."

"...I know. And thank you for reminding me..." he scowled.

"...Come on, I have your clothes here." she smiled.

"...Alright, just leave them on the bed." he said, inspecting the black bundle and making sure everything was there.

"...Nuh-uh. You need help."

"...I am a wizard, Lily." he reminded calmly. Fortunately his wand had been recovered by summoning charm 'thanks' to Sirius Black as had Lily's.

"And I am your girlfriend...besides, I think its time we did something intimate, only to validate James Potter's whining."

"...Intimate?" he asked.

Lily smiled and pointed her wand at the buttons of the grey nightshirt at his neck.

"...what...are you-?"

The button undid itself.

She traced the wand down...and another button.

Swallowing weakly, Severus watched as the divine creature before him bit her lip, her cheeks reddened with a flush of naughtiness.

Moving onto each button, he felt the nightshirt loosen until the skin on his chest was exposed.

Putting her wand down, she climbed up onto the bed, and crawled over to him so she was practically sat astride him.

"...L...Lily..." he began softly.

"...Not ready?" she asked, stroking his hair, her breath on his moist lips.

"...More...more than ready..." he stammered.

She silenced any more objections with a passionate kiss, pushing the grey nightshirt from his shoulders with her hand.

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her with equal fervour as she exposed his skin, mottled with healing bruises and pale.

He ran his good hand, up her back, into the thick waves of firey red hair before she pulled away to look at him.

"...Your skin...is so pale..."

"...Sunbathing makes me irate." he explained. "...so much wasted time...spent just lying in the sun...I..."

She pulled the nightshirt clean off, fully exposing his chest and torso.

Snape's cheeks reddened as he became near naked in front of the woman he had long nursed a soft spot for.

Sitting back on her legs, she looked over him, inspecting him, breathlessly.

Snape sat awkwardly, not sure on what to do, whether he should be trying to undress her, or should wait until they were in their own chambers.

"...Sev...You've been hiding this from me?" she grinned, running a cool, slender, tapered finger up his chest.

"...Hiding?"

"...This...sexiness."

"...'Sexiness'?" the world felt alien on his lips.

She chuckled and pulled Severus' shirt from the bundle of freshly laundered clothing.

"...Come on, you need to get dressed. You're expected at dinner." she began placing the shirt around his shoulders, hooking his bandaged hand through the right sleeve and letting him do the same with his left arm.

"...Oh Lord. Tell me they're not having a specific dinner..." he muttered as Lily began to button the shirt.

"Sorry Sev. Remus insisted. He said its the least he can do after behaving like an idiot." she responded as she did the buttons up.

"...He was imperiused." Snape responded darkly.

"Yeah, well he still feels bad." Lily began taking the cloth tie and examining it. "Dumbledore has declined his resignation note."

"Oh great...so I have to deal with him for at least two more terms?" he asked, taking it from her and doing it up swiftly with one hand.

"And at least another year. He's signed a contract for next year too." she sighed looking for the waistcoat in the cloth pile.

"...My joy is unconfined (!)" he sighed, flattening the bulk of the tie with his palm.

"...Severus...Try and be cool with him? You got the girl." she grinned hooking his right arm through the waistcoat as he did the same with his left.

"...That I did." he half smiled as he began to do up the buttons.

"...I heard Fudge tell Dumbledore that next year they were planning to bring back the triwizard tournament...but given the recent events, he has decided against it." she sighed as she unfolded the black trousers and stood, waiting.

"...What a pity."

"...Trousers. Can you stand?" she asked.

"...I'd rather not." he said.

"...Why?"

"...You seemed to forget you have a certain brand of magic that causes...well, engorgment charms..." he smirked.

"...And you're afraid i'll see? Sev, I dunno how to tell you this, but...later on, I'm going to be doing a lot more than looking at it."

Severus' eyebrows practically disappeared into his black curtained hair as he smirked.

"Oh really." he muttered.

"Really...So...if you'd care to try and stand?"

He reached for the bedside cabinet for support and stood weakly, his legs shaking threateningly.

"...You'd best sit..." she suggested.

Sitting down, he grunted weakly in effort and wiped his brow on his white shirt cuff.

"...Sorry."

"No problem..." she smiled and knelt on the stone floor before pulling his legs through the trouser leg holes and moving them up his knees before coming face to face with his problem.

"...Sorry."

"...Don't be." she smiled reassuringly and pulled the trousers up before flicking her wand at the socks rolled up beside the shoes and frock-coat which magically moved themselves to his feet.

Snape examined himself in a mirror she had brought in with the clothes and groaned.

"...If Dementors had faces...this would be it."

"...Perhaps I ought to cast a Patronus at you then." she grinned as she finished buttoning his shoes.

Smiling weakly, he put the mirror down and looked at her.

"...So...you gonna tell me what your Patronus actually is? Because...I'm not buying what you said before."

"...Its a doe. Its always been a doe..." he replied calmly.

"...Like mine." she declared with a smile as she unfolded his coat.

"...Like yours." he repeated warmly.

"...Its funny, it must be because of the memory I use to cast my Patronus. You're in it."

"...Do tell." he prompted.

"...Its that memory...well, I don't know if you remember it...but its when we were sat beside the river...we were like, 9, and, I told you I had never seen a rainbow before. And you couldn't believe it...so, you concentrated really really hard, and tried to make a rainbow appear over the river, but instead the water started to raise up towards the sky...like it was raining in reverse...And although you found it embarrassing...I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Unnatural, like me. But...still good..."

"...Lily." he began urgently.

"...What?"

"...When you laughed that day...and laughed...smiling, and you reached for my hand...I fell in love with you." he said, staring into her eyes.

"...You...?"

"Yes. And that is the memory I use to conjure every Patronus..." he revealed.

Lily stared at him, looking into those inky black eyes and seeing sparks of a strong emotion building into a fire.

Seizing her, he pulled her in for a kiss that he tried to convey all the love and desperation he felt for her. Finally, able to unleash all he had been holding back for what seemed an eternity.

His lips pressed hard against hers, and hers against his, she seemed to freeze with the intensity of it until he pulled away, to check she was alright.

She was sat, punch drunk in his arms, looking dazed, but very happy.

"...Severus Snape..." she smiled weakly.

"...Lily..." he said softly, stroking her cheek.

"...I love you."

"I love you too..."

Lily walked him down to the main hall, he refused a wheelchair resolutely and accepted a cane to lean on. He had forgotten that it was a long walk from the hospital wing to the great hall and was desperate to decline the invite for a dinner but knew somehow Albus would manipulate him into attending.

"...You really don't want to do this?" she asked as she helped him down the corridor.

"...Its not ideal, slipping unnoticed back into school life was the plan."

"...But you are a hero, and they want to celebrate you."

"Yes, why not. The man who brought Voldemort back to life."

"It would have happened sooner or later. And this way, at least people know. You saved my life...and deserve to be decorated."

"I deserve a good nights rest in my own bed."

"Stop being so grumpy." she said, jabbing him gently in the ribs.

They came to a pause outside the main hall doors.

He sighed and turned to her.

"...The doors will open, Dumbledore will stand, announce me...and all those blessed students will applause...and I will be forced, to limp to my seat where praises are heaped upon me and wait for the moment later, where I finally get you in my bed..."

Lily smiled.

"Now isn't THAT incentive enough."

"I suppose it is..." he smiled begrudgingly.

She stroked his hair soothingly and looked into his eyes.

"...I love you."

"I love you too." he smiled, feeling his heart flutter inside his chest.

"...Come on. Sooner you go in, sooner you can announce you must retire due to feeling unwell, and the sooner we can get to bed."

"Tease..." he smiled as she pushed open the doors.

As predicted everyone turned around and stared.

Dumbledore stood, announced his return, and started clapping.

Everyone around him started clapping, the students, the faculty. Hagrid pounded the table with glee and the Weasley twins stood on their seats whooping unnecessarily. Something, that under any other circumstance would have resulted in 50 points being taken from Gryffindor.

Lily helped him limp to his usual seat where Slughorn slapped him on the back rather too roughly and caused him to yelp slightly in pain.

Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.

"...Tonight, we honour the bravery of several people given the last few days events. Four of Hogwarts most prolific Alumni.

One of whom we are very lucky to have as a teacher...James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Evans, and Professor Severus Snape...all of whom risked their lives and witnesses the catastrophic rebirth of Lord Voldemort...and still escaped with their lives, and information for the Aurors that otherwise would have led to the wizarding world being unaware of his return. We honour them tonight."

Dumbledore raised his goblet as everyone else, including the honoured guests who were sat at the table. Potter in his Quidditch robes, and Sirius Black in his casual velvet suit following suit as Snape did so with Lily at his side.

"...So, enough...let us feast!"

Snape sighed in a relieved manner and poked at his food with his fork in his left hand.

He did not feel in the slightest hungry and could not resist casting admiring, even lustful glances at Lily who was wearing a green cardigan,a brown and cream gingham pinafore and a white cream top. She was beautiful...

"...I want to talk to you about rejoining the Aurors?" she began.

"...Yes?" he asked.

"...Kingsley wants me back...But said I can remain in my current capacity at Hogsmede." she mumbled.

"...I see."

"...What do you think?"

"...I think you should do what makes you happy, Lily." he replied, pushing a forkfull of mashed potato towards his broccoli.

"Being with you makes me happy." she replied.

"...And seeing you happy makes me happy...So go and join the Aurors..." he smirked.

She touched her head.

"...Did you just-?"

"...You're not the only one who knows Legilimens..." he replied silkly, "...And you ought not let your guard down...not even around me..."

She smirked and carried on eating.

Snape enjoyed seeing her happy.

Radiant.

Beautiful.

And his...


	21. Chapter 21

**NB: Warning. This chapter contains sexually explicit detail. This chapter is rated M.**

**Chapter 21**

"One more...And again...and there were go." Lily enthused as she helped Severus to his room.

"...Why do I live in the dungeons again?" he asked weakly as he limped to his bed, exhausted by the walk.

"Because you're the big bad potions master!" she giggled.

"...No more elf wine for you." he smirked.

He sat on the bed, and put his cane against the dark wooden bedside table which had been decorated since his absence with flowers and a doily.

"...Really, Lily?"

"It smelled like overcooked billywig's in here." she scolded. "Besides, if I am to be a regular visitor, it needs to improve its image."

"It may be dank, it may be dark. But it is after all my bedroom and it is clean."

"...Hmm, perhaps some red and gold to counteract all this silver and green."

"Perhaps you just accept you're in love with a Slytherin."

"...Perhaps I try and make you a Gryffindor..."

"Perhaps I was Gryffindor enough in that God forsaken hell-hole they call Azkaban."

"...Perhaps I love you." she smirked and walked to the bed.

Looking up at her, she stroked his hair away from his face and smiled at him promisingly.

"...How far are we from the Slytherin common room?"

"...Far enough."

Lily pushed him slowly down onto the velvet, green throw onto the bed and moved atop him fully clothed before looking into his eyes.

Snape ran his hand from the top of her neck down to the base of her spine, monitoring her reaction.

She looked at him, closing her eyes in a state of relaxation as he ran his hand up the back of her cardigan finding yet more fabric.

"...Uhm..." he began.

"...Yeah?" she asked, opening her eyes again.

"...How am I to get this dress off you? Its a pinafore, it involves Buttons..."

Lily chuckled lightly.

"...That's up to you..."

Snape looked confused.

Was love making to be this cryptic, a set of puzzles and tasks before the main event?

Snape lay there perplexed for a moment before sitting up.

"...I've never...well, done this with anyone else before..."

"I know."

"...And my understanding of what is to occur is basically limited to the actual event...Mostly from listening to other boys in my dorm talk."

"...Yes...?"

"So...i would like to apologize for any sexual faux-pas that I may inadvertently make during this encounter."

"Sev...?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up, and take off my dress."

Snape nodded and unbuttoned the buttons on her cardigan, his fingers slipping and shaking as his heart drummed rapidly in his chest.

He removed the cardigan, folding it neatly and throwing it over the nearby chair before looking at the pinafore.

It had two buttons on either strap and what appeared to be a small woollen, cream top underneath.

He started at the buttons to find Lily smiling at him. She grasped the dress at the hem and pulled it roughly over her own head revealing the rest of the white top, a set of white silk French knickers and white stockings.

Snape felt his hands develop their own desire to run over the French knickers. To feel their softness, the silkiness, and the warmth of the skin they obscured.

Hesitating slightly, he moved forwards to touch her leg.

The skin was soft Softer than any other part of her body. Her thigh was a creamy white colour that practically demanded to be kissed.

"...Its okay..." she smiled, stroking his hair.

Feeling so utterly childish at this hesitation he ran his hands up to the French knickers. His fingers slid under the fabric, detecting the warmth of what it obscured.

She closed her eyes and bit her lip in obvious enjoyment.

"Lily..." he near moaned, leaning in to kiss her.

After the kiss, all hesitation, all lack of knowledge of it all, it seemed automatic.

Her hands were at his trousers, unbuttoning them, his were at the hem of her shirt, removing it swiftly to reveal a white lace brace and firm, full breasts within them.

Like a wild animal he began kissing them at once. Feeling their warmth, their fullness, their promise as he pressed his now nearly naked, exposed pelvis to hers.

He did not recall how he knew this is what Lily wanted, but as she moaned at the contact, he knew he was right.

The rest of his clothes were shed in a haze of panic and desperation. He felt her struggle with his buttons before finally losing her patience and ripping them off to get to the next layer of clothing.

He ran his lips to her neck from her breasts, stopping at her pulse point and breathing heavily against it as if savouring it.

He felt her grow weak in his arms, not through sickness...through desire as she gave a weak gasp of protest at this teasing.

"...Severus..." she warned softly, running her hand down his boxers to grip at his backside.

He gasped at the contact.

"...Lily..." he murmured.

"...Touch me...Please..." she begged, her eyes piercing his.

"...But I..." he began nodding to his hands at her waist.

"'_There_'..." she enthused.

Snape nodded as he took her suggestion as it was intended and moved his hand below the waist band of her underwear.

She moaned softly as he made contact with the most intimate part of her, surrendering herself entirely to his touch as he watched her face in surprise that he could make her behave like this.

"...Yes..." she murmured in desperation, her eyes closed, her body in a prone position upon the bed. He leaned in and started kissing her passionately, letting his fingers explore this warm, moist part of her before finding the most tender part of her.

She gasped as he made contact with it and closed her eyes again in bliss.

Smirking slightly he stroked the lump of tender, warm flesh and watched her reaction.

She moaned softly, gripping his shoulders urgently, driving her nails into his flesh, opening her legs slightly so he could get better access.

He stroked at it urgently, feeling it harden under his fingertips as he felt himself grow hard, throbbing, desperate to take the place of his fingers.

"...Severus...Severus...I'm...I'm going to..." she gasped, her cheeks flushed and red.

"...Going to...?" he prompted.

"I'm going to..." she gasped as suddenly her whole body became rigid as she started shaking.

He did not stop caressing the hard bump between her legs in that intimate place as it too started to shake.

She held him tight, crying out in pleasure, shaking all over until finally she lay back, exhausted and smiling weakly.

He held her tight as the throbbing between his own legs became urgent in the wake of hearing her erotic cries and feeling the area he so desperately desired to be within become wet and ready for him.

"...I want you..." he began in a low voice.

"...I want you..." she began as she pulled away her underwear revealing the soft white skin he had felt under his fingers, beads of moisture glistening on the slight red curls that led to the entrance.

She pulled at his boxers as he helped her pull them off.

She paused as she saw what lay beneath them and smirked at him weakly, still flushed from her climax.

"...Remind me to tell you later about _that_ being Slytherin's best kept secret..."

Snape felt her fingers wrap around his throbbing member and felt her stroke it a few times.

He shuddered urgently and gripped the bedsheets in his hands.

"...Lily..."

"...I'll go on top..." she began, pushing him down onto the bed once more and kneeling over him.

Snape swallowed weakly, nervous and unsure as she slowly lowered herself down onto him.

As he felt her slide onto him he could not hold back the cry of pleasure as she too moaned, letting him enter her.

"...Sev..." she gasped as she allowed him fully within her.

"...Lily...you're beautiful..."

She undid her bra and discarded it before leaning down and kissing him again.

He wrapped his arms around her. Unable to believe he was having sex with Lily Evans.

Then he felt her move her hips, and again.

She was magnificent.

Her beautiful body gyrating above him, her breasts full, their nipples a delectable shade of pink that made him lean forwards and take them, one at a time in his mouth and suck upon them, he could feel himself throbbing within her and wondered if she could feel it too. She moaned, holding him close as she bucked her hips, making love to him.

Soon he matched her rhythm, moving in sync. Feeling himself within her, and her around him, it made him moan in pleasure, holding her hips, pressing into her as much as he could.

"Lily...I...I.."

"I know...I know..."

He gritted his teeth as he tried to hold back the inevitable orgasm that threatened this beautiful act.

But she too felt strange, tighter... he realized she too was getting close to orgasm.

"...Lily, are you-?"

"Yes! Yes!" she gasped as she moved faster, harder, he matched the rhythm urgently, trying hard to make her moan more, needing to hear her.

She gasped out loud as she met her climax, shaking deeply within herself, gripping his hips as she did.

Snape held her tight as he too found his release and groaned as she moved up and down slowly, completely draining him.

She collapsed beside him, still shaking.

"...Lily..." he murmured."

"Hmm..."

"...I love you."

"...love you too..." she murmured weakly, barely able to open her eyelids.

She was exhausted and was falling into a rapid sleep, in his own weakness, and desire for rest, he could not resist breaking into a smile.

Somewhere he felt the urge to grasp the nearest book and write in the back cover that he had just had sex with Lily Evans.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

In what seemed to be a gift from his past. He found himself, his arms linked with Lily Evans.

Granted, they were now in their thirties, and no longer wearing their uniforms. She was an Auror,. He was a teacher. A potions master. And outside in the world beyond this wonderful warm, late summer, early autumn day, there was a great terror gripping the wizarding world.

It almost didn't matter.

Turning to him her eyes seemed to glow in the setting sun, and her hair provided a halo of burning beauty around her.

"...Why does the outside world have to suck so much?" she asked him.

He smiled indulgently at her and stroked her cheek.

"Because it is the outside world...It was like returning to the muggle world after summer here. With you."

She smiled and rested her head on his chest and looked out onto the lake.

"...Sev?"

"Yes darling?"

"...Is Professor Dumbledore sure...?"

"...About?"

"...Me moving into your chambers?"

"He told you my darling. Not me." he smiled.

"...I thought he was going to tell me off at first..." Lily half smirked.

"...Being the potion masters girlfriend is not a crime, Lily." Snape reminded.

"Yeah...but when he asked me if I wanted to move in with you...i nearly exploded through blushing."

Snape chuckled lightly, even now the sound sounded alien...

"...Well, then I think he means it."

Lily smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

The sun was setting rapidly now and the cold was drawing in.

Holding him close, Lily looked up at him, into those dark pools of ink.

"...Will it be alright...?"

Her eyes were wide like a child's, and the intonation was naïve.

He looked at her, running his hand down her hair.

"...Well, put it this way...If its not alright...at least we'll have each other."

Satiated, she rested her head on his chest, not happy, but no longer afraid.

Snape stroked her back slowly, keeping his cheek against her head, comforting her.

Whatever was to come, he was no longer afraid...

And neither was she.

The End


End file.
